Retailer2Retailer: A Cooler Community Starts With Small Change

By Sean Grant

Every summer, someone walks up to my store’s register with a bag of potting soil or a handful of screws, hears the cashier ask whether they’d like to round up to benefit our Fan Drive and decides to add 37 cents to
the total. By itself, that decision barely registers. Together, hundreds of those moments help keep our community cool.

That’s what has always fascinated me about the Fan Drive. Nobody walks into our store expecting to change someone’s summer with spare change. They come in for fertilizer, a hose nozzle or a box of screws. Would they like to help contribute to the Fan Drive that Westlake Ace Hardware and the Salvation Army have run each summer for the past 14 years?

Sometimes it’s a few cents. Sometimes someone donates enough money at the register to enable the Salvation Army to cover the cost of a box fan. Either way, they’re deciding to help somebody they’ll probably never meet. Those little decisions add up.

My path into hardware wasn’t exactly traditional. Before Ace I was a lifeguard, installed sprinkler systems and spent several years bartending. A friend who managed a hardware store suggested I give retail a try, and I discovered something I hadn’t expected: I loved helping people solve problems. I started as a department head, moved into front-end supervision and eventually became a general manager.

I’ve been with Ace since 2011, and today I manage one of the largest Westlake Ace Hardware stores in Omaha, Nebraska.

REWARDING THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF GOOD WORK

What still gets me excited every day hasn’t changed. It’s the people. Our associates get to solve problems. Our customers trust us with projects that matter to them. There’s something rewarding about helping someone figure out a solution and then having them come back later to tell you it worked. The Fan Drive feels like an extension of that idea.

Instead of solving a plumbing problem or helping someone pick the right paint, we’re helping make someone’s home a little safer and more comfortable during Nebraska’s hottest days. Living here, you don’t have to look far to understand why the Fan Drive matters. I was in Wichita, Kansas, recently, and I’ve spent plenty of time at softball tournaments in Oklahoma City, so I’ve seen firsthand how relentless the summer heat can be across this part of the country. Around our garden center, we’re outside every day. You can feel the heat radiating off the pavement, and when the temperature climbs into the triple digits with humidity, even a little shade and moving air can make an enormous difference.

I’ve seen customers walk in planning to donate a few cents, but then round up their purchases significantly. Those moments show me that generosity starts with small gestures.

THE WIND BEHIND THE MISSION

Our team has grown alongside the program. The first year, I don’t think everyonequite understood what we were trying to accomplish. The Fan Drive embodies Ace’s core values of teamwork, gratitude and the opportunity to serve and care for our communities. As the campaign continues to grow and customers respond so generously, our associates see the impact.

As a result, our associates take increasing ownership of it every year. One of our cashiers, Sarah, has become the unofficial captain of the Fan Drive at our store. Every week she wants updates. She asks how many donations we’ve received and what we need to do to reach the next goal. Her excitement and enthusiasm spread to everyone around her.

That’s one of my favorite parts of the entire campaign. People naturally want to be part of something positive. We celebrate every donation because every donation matters. Whether someone rounds up 28 cents or contributes enough to buy multiple fans, they’re participating in the same effort. Nobody’s contribution is too small.

There’s a sentiment often attributed to Queen Elizabeth II that has always stayed with me: “It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” That’s exactly what this program has taught me.

When the Salvation Army picks up the fans collected through thousands of individual donations, there’s a tremendous sense of pride in what our community accomplished—together. As independent retailers, we spend every day serving our neighborhoods. Programs like our Fan Drive remind us that sometimes the smallest interactions at the front register can become something much bigger—and
cooler—by the end of the season.

6 WAYS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER THAT LASTS

A successful community fundraiser is built on consistent execution, team ownership and making it easy for customers to participate. Here, Sean Grant, general manager of Westlake Ace Hardware in Omaha, Nebraska, shares the practices that have helped his store’s Fan Drive grow year after year.

1. Start planning at least three months ahead. The campaign begins well before the first donation. Assign responsibilities in advance so displays, signage and supplies are ready before customers walk through the door. When everyone knows their role ahead of time, the program starts with momentum instead of confusion.

2. Make the cause impossible to miss. Visibility matters. Over the years, the Fan Drive display has evolved from a simple table with a box fan into a larger presentation near the front entrance with bold signage and eye catching decorations. Customers should understand the campaign within seconds of entering the store.

3. Give associates ownership, not just instructions. The strongest campaigns have champions throughout the store. Encourage associates to track progress, celebrate milestones and motivate one another. Friendly competition and shared goals help transform the fundraiser from management’s project into the team’s project.

4. Remove barriers to asking for donations. The easier it is for cashiers to ask, the more consistently they’ll do it. Grant says adding a register prompt for round-up donations eliminated awkward mental math and gave associates confidence. Simplifying the process increases participation for both employees and customers.

5. Keep the momentum going every day. Every campaign has busy days and slow days. Daily huddles,
progress updates and achievable goals help keep enthusiasm high throughout. Managers who jump on the register and ask for donations themselves reinforce that the campaign remains a priority.

6. Commit fully—even if you start small. Grant believes retailers don’t need a million-dollar campaign to make a difference. What matters is choosing a cause that fits your company’s core values and supporting the community wholeheartedly. Customers recognize authentic commitment; that’s what keeps them coming back year after year.