Amount raised: Since 2007, the program has raised USD 5.25 million. Background and context: In 2007, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) established the Restaurant Care Program (RCP); an innovative sustainable fundraising program targeting the general public. The RCP invites restaurants to incorporate a fixed contribution to KHCF as a line item on their diner bills, enabling restaurant guests to join the fight against cancer. At the time when cancer was still considered a taboo, the idea of bringing cancer onto restaurant tables and associating it with food was a huge undertaking which was frowned upon by most. It took one champion to join the program to for the rest to follow suit; gradually overcoming the taboo and changing public behavior. Within 10 years, the program was able to partner with over 70 restaurants with an annual growth of 8.4%. Aim: Establishing an innovative, sustainable fundraising program that creates behavior change and serves as an accessible, effortless donation channel while they dine Strategy/Tactics: Generating funds in a systematic and sustainable method by including the contribution as a line item on diners' bills within partner restaurants' financial/billing systems. Customizing the contributions according to restaurant's tier; JD 1 (USD 1.4), JD 0.50 (USD 0.70) and JD 0.25 (USD 0.35). Implementation of a donation opt-out method rather than making it opt-in. This means that the contribution is automatically added by the restaurant to the bill, yet allows the diner to optionally remove the donation if they request to do so. Shifting from the opt-in to opt-out method significantly more than doubled the donations received allowing the program to raise USD 512,711 in 2017 alone. Training and educating restaurant employees and raising their awareness about cancer, the program and the impact of raising funds to support patients- deeming them on-the ground KHCF advocates. Program process: Official agreements are signed with partner restaurants indicating the fixed donation amount and the financial process. Restaurants add the contribution as a fixed line item within their financial/billing system-KHCF provides restaurant partners with jointly branded marketing materials which are placed on dining tables and which explain the program and its process. Training of restaurant financial staff and waiters on program process in addition to educating them on cancer, KHCF mission and impact of the donations. Monthly financial reconciliation with each partner restaurant based on provided and audited receipts/bills. Costs and returns: The expenditure of the program is 2-4% of the programs' returns making the program cost-effective and sustainable. What was learned: Despite KHCF being in a resource-poor developing country, the program´s success is proof that it´s possible to conquer taboos and create an innovative funding model that is both cost-effective and sustainable and can be replicated across sectors and countries.
Saving Lives One Bite at a Time: The King Hussein Cancer Foundation´s Restaurant Care Program
