Why Green City Market is Unique in Its Need to Raise Funds? #GivingTuesday

    CHICAGO, IL, December 03, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- #GivingTuesday kicks off today and it is a perfect time to bring awareness to donations needed to sustain Green City Market. Why is Green City Market unique in its needs to raise funds?

"It is expensive to run Green City Market," says Sarah Stegner, co-president of the board. "We understand that a lot of customers think that shopping at Green City Market supports the market's operations. It doesn't."

Green City Market's greatest challenge is balancing the growing expenses of running an outdoor market while keeping its farm fees as low as possible. Green City Market's booth fees are among the lowest in Chicago by $10-$20 per market. However these fees cover just 14% of its expenses to run an outdoor market, with its top expenditures being mulch to keep our shoppers and vendors dry in inclement weather, park district fees, and the required outdoor restrooms.Because of the difference in Green City Market's costs to operate Chicago's first year-round farmers market and keeping its farmers' fees intentionally low, Green City Market must rely on the support of generous individuals to help cover this difference.

Green City Market asks you to please consider making a tax deductible donation to our 501 (c) 3 charitable organization to help cover the gap between its costs to run the market and its intentionally low farmers' fees. By giving to Green City Market, you are impacting the Chicago community by supporting the belief that good food is a right, not a privilege.

All donations greater than $50 receive a free tote bag!

This year's new effort to raise money through the sale of the Green City Market Cookbook provides an added income stream to help supplement the cost of running the market. The cookbook makes a perfect holiday gift and those who purchase the book can feel a personal reward as they are helping support the market's bottom line. This year's #GivingTuesday dollars can go even further as Green City Market has a $20k matching gift for our Edible Gardens program. Green City Market will create donation cards if anyone wants to give a gift to a Market fan. Additionally, Green City Market offers sponsorship opportunities to support programs such as Chef Demonstrations, the Green City Market Chefs Barbecue, Eat Local campaign and Club Sprout activities.

Green City Market is honored to be among the thousands of businesses to join the national #GivingTuesday movement to encourage spending with a purpose. #GivingTuesday is the first of its kind effort to harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners - charities, families, businesses and individuals to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. Coinciding with the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action which will improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world.

Contributions may be made by visiting: https://www.greencitymarket.org/support/index.asp

Donate today!

"Good food is a right, not a privilege." ~Alice Waters

Here is how your donation helps Green City Market. If you give:

$30 you have provided our daily match for 2 Illinois Link card holders.

$50 you have bought 2 weeks of produce for the Club Sprouts program.

$100 you have supported the cost of our compost program for a single market.

$250 you have purchased chef demo supplies for a month.

$500 you have paid for mulch expenses for one market.

$1000 you have provided scholarships for 2 of our farmers.

$2000 you have covered our per market difference between operating costs

# # #