Hamilton Mall transformed the upper level of its center court into a magical gift workshop, giving kids the opportunity to experience the joy of giving. The cost to take part was $1, which went to The Children’s Seahorse House Auxiliary. Projects included potpourris, ornaments, reindeer ears, and even decorated dog bones for their pet.

Bramalea City Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre teamed up to give kids the gift of reading, and teach them safety tips in case they became separated from their parents in a mall. An original 24-page color book was commissioned for the promotion; all sales proceeds benefited Read Canada.

Breton Village has developed a reputation for tying into a good community cause—the Special Olympics. The mall hosts a Festival of Trees promotion, beginning with a two-week public display of designer Christmas trees. Shoppers can vote for their favorite for a $1 contribution to the Special Olympics. The trees are later sold to the highest bidder at an auction gala.

Penn Square Mall’s “Club Santa” has successfully combined fun and festive. Initially designed to help ease the anticipation of waiting for Santa to arrive, the club has grown into something greater.

When Crocker Galleria in San Francisco, California, was approached to assist Project Open Hand prior to their annual food and gift festival fund-raiser, it provided an opportunity for shoppers to participate in a worthwhile community project.

Low birth weights triggered an unusual alliance of business and media in Monterey County, California. Northridge Center initiated the challenge of giving women incentives for using the program’s “Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby” handbooks. The incentives include T-shirts and packets of mall coupons, which are distributed to women who return the completed handbook at the end of each trimester of their pregnancy.

When the California Restaurant Association approached Broadway Plaza about hosting the Third Annual Bay Area Restaurant Olympics, Marketing Director Kaycee McKenzie saw the potential for increasing the center’s community goodwill. The association and corporate sponsors picked up most of the costs, and around 4,000 people attended the event.

In 1991, North Dartmouth Mall implemented H.I.R.E. (Helping Individuals Regain Employment) to mitigate the region’s 18% unemployment rate. As of July 1993, the unemployment rate had dropped to 12%. Aside from an occasional ad, the only cost to the mall has been empty store space. The benefits: creation of disposable income, and an increased sense of loyalty to the mall.

The Roswell Mill partnered with 35 local food and beverage purveyors for a “Taste of Roswell” fundraiser. Tickets were sold at the door for 50 cents, and food or drink samples generally cost 3 to 6 tickets each. Proceeds benefited a museum being established.

Buena Park Mall gave away 1,000 pounds of sweet onions—and an extra 600 pounds after the first batch ran out—as part of its Mother’s Day promotion. Food court merchants each handed out more than 1,000 samples, and enjoyed sales increases up to 20%.