Michigan 4-H ranks first nationwide in JOANN 4-H partnership

Abbey Miller<abmiller@msu.edu>, abmiller@msu.edu - September 11, 2020

In the spring 2020 JOANN Pay it Fourward Campaign, Michigan 4-H ranked first in the nation raising $7,072.

From March 1 to April 30, JOANN Fabric stores partnered for a third year with National 4-H Council in a point of sale fundraiser with the proceeds to benefit 4-H. This spring, Michigan ranked first in the nation raising $7,072 through the Pay it Fourward Campaign. Collectively, over $65,000 was raised at the 850 JOANN stores nationwide, including the 44 stores in Michigan.

“Although less funds were raised this year overall due to the COVID-19 pandemic and store restrictions, we are very proud of the strong support from JOANN shoppers for Michigan 4-H,” said Jacob DeDecker, state leader for Michigan 4-H Youth Development and MSU Extension Children and Youth associate director. “Thanks to the strong partnership with JOANN, these funds will provide resources for 4-H to expand and/or enhance programs, especially at the local level.”

Fifty percent of the funds supported Michigan’s county 4-H programs; 5 percent each for state 4-H workshops, 4-H participation fee sponsorships, state 4-H programs, and the Michigan 4-H Foundation; and 30 percent to National 4-H Council.

Campaign highlights:

The top Michigan JOANN stores were: Auburn Hills, Canton, Bloomfield Hills, Novi and Roseville.
The top counties that raised the most donations were Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Isabella.
Nearly half or 21 of the Michigan stores are located in southeast Michigan, which is the metro-Detroit area.
Of the total raised, 80% of Michigan’s JOANN campaign funds were generated from stores in this region comprising stores in eight counties (Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne).

In addition to the fundraiser, the JOANN partnership with 4-H also offers a rewards card for current and lifetime members, parents, volunteers and 4-H staff members to receive 15 percent off total purchases every day. In return, JOANN donates a minimum of 2.5 percent back to National 4-H Council. In addition, JOANN and Shop4-H.org created a line of 4-H fabric, with a portion of sales benefitting 4-H.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).