Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out has a new name: "Dine Out for No Kid Hungry." Share Our Strength re-named the program “Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry” to make its purpose crystal-clear in its fourth year.
Share Our Strenth, a national nonprofit aimed at ending childhood hunger by 2015, uses this fundraiser to support its No Kid Hungry Campaign.
Billy Shore, founder of Share Our Strength, expressed his thanks to the restaurant industry: “The Great American Dine Out (now Dine Out for No Kid Hungry) has been phenomenally successful in its first three years because it gives every restaurant in America the chance to make a meaningful contribution while doing something good for its business," says Billy Shore, founder of Share Our Strength.
Last year, 4,153 participating restaurants raised more than $1.5 million, double the amount raised in 2009 and the highest amount in the program's history.
“We’ve set some very ambitious goals for 2011,” says Jim Vinz, president and
“We want to raise at least $3 million this year, and get 5,000 restaurants involved. No child in America should ever go hungry, and Share Our Strength’s solutions are working," Vinz says. "The funds we raise through Dine Out for No Kid Hungry are a big part of that solution. Every restaurant in America should register for this program.”
The restaurants involved last year used a variety of creative promotions and fundraising techniques (including bounce back coupons, consumer donations, and friendly challenges) and donated the money to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign.
“Last year, the Ignite Group realized an increase in sales during our promotional period, and we were not alone," says Robin Ahearn, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Ignite Restaurant Group.
"Over the past few years, we’ve learned that this program can deliver real business returns to restaurants that really market it. Share Our Strength is introducing some new consumer marketing tools this year, especially in social media, to make the program even more successful for restaurants," Ahearn says. "And there will be point-of-purchase materials restaurants can give to customers to show them how they can get involved at the restaurant and once they leave.”
Restaurants can register and learn how others have leveraged the program at www.DineOutforNoKidHungry.org. Registration for the 2011 Dine Out for No Kid Hungry is open to all restaurants in every segment. Registered restaurants can take advantage of the online Resource Center, full of downloadable in-store marketing materials, templates for publicity tools, and instructions for ordering pre-printed promotional materials.
