Round up at the register in January to support local bees and native pollinators!
The North Country Beekeepers Association consists of beekeepers of various size apiaries and years of experience, all working together to provide education about the importance of honeybees and native pollinators. They offer free public outreach and education to interested garden groups, concerned community members, and students across all age groups. Their educational goal is an increased understanding and involvement among new and existing members — whether they are interested in keeping bees themselves, or are simply interested in supporting pollinators that help flower and vegetable gardens flourish.
By raising awareness about bees and pollinators, NCBA hopes to link each individual to the importance of making informed decisions about planting, thoughtful pesticide use, and the impact of the choices we make on the long-term health of our ecosystem. The funds raised through the Partner of The Month program will be used primarily to support these volunteer-provided community outreach programs and will be used to offset the costs of printing, handouts, meetings, and education.
About our Partner of the Month Program
Through our Partner of the Month Program, the Littleton Food Co-op sponsors a different local non-profit each month of the year. All of our Partners are locally focused, socially and environmentally responsible, non-political, and secular. Partners are chosen by our Members by popular vote, and each organization typically receives anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000.
We help to raise funds a number of ways:
- Round Up: Customers paying with a credit or debit card may round up their purchases and the balance goes directly to the Partner of the Month.
- Donation collection boxes with partner branding are placed at each register.
- Messaging about our partners is included in our weekly e-newsletter, social media posts, on our website, and in our weekly newspaper ads.
- Posters and flyers are displayed on our Community Board and around the store.
- Opportunities to meet our members, including info tables, grocery bagging, and other events.
Meet the 2021 Partners of the Month!
The following organizations were chosen by our Members to be our 2021 Partners of the Month:
Above the Notch Humane Society
Boys & Girls Club of the North Country
The Bancroft House – A Family Sanctuary
Second Chance Animal Rescue
Littleton Area Senior Center
Copper Cannon Camp
Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc
Mt. Eustis Ski Hill
Organized Acts Of Kindness For Seniors (OAKS)
How Our Partners Are Chosen
Meet the 2022 Partner of the Month Candidates here!
Each year during the Summer we accept applications from local organizations, and our Members select the final Partners by popular vote. This year our Members will vote from September 16 – 30 2021. Voting is held online and we have paper ballots available as well. Only full or partial Members may vote by casting a ballot, and one vote is allowed per Membership.
The organization with the most votes gets first choice for their preferred month. Then the next organizations choose their preferred month, in the order of votes earned. We divide the organizations into categories each year so that there is a diverse variety of groups being supported; if any categories are not represented we choose the organization with the most votes within a category and add it to the final list.
We reserve months to raise funding for the Littleton Cooperative Community Fund as well as area food pantries. In the event of an emergency situation that needs funding, we will contact the Partner for the month to see if they are willing to forfeit Round-Up earnings for three days.
Please note that organizations may not be a Partner of the Month for more than 2 consecutive years, but are welcome to apply in the third year.
If you have questions about our Partner of the Month Program or would like to apply, please contact our Community Outreach Coordinator, Becky Colpitts, at bcolpitts@littletoncoop.org
Apply to Become a 2022 Partner
The deadline to apply for our 2022 Partner of the Month Program is August 12, 2021. If you’re interested in finding out more about our program or would like to become a Partner, please e-mail bcolpitts@littletoncoop.org.
The Application Process
Each year in August our Members choose 8-9 organizations for our Partner program via popular vote. We want our Members to make an informed choice and also learn about the great work being done in our community, so we put together lots of promotional materials about the candidates, post flyers in the store, share posts and videos on social media, include information on our website and in our e-newsletter, and we also offer the opportunity to set up a table during our Partner of the Month Fair.
Partners must be a local 501(c)(3) non-profit, or under the umbrella of an established 501(c)(3) organization in the area. Please note that organizations may not be a Partner of the Month for more than 2 consecutive years, but are welcome to apply again after that.
