Trureal Community Program helps business owners, customers connect with charity

The last year-and-a-half has, for some, redefined what it means to be a member of a community – and highlighted needs that might have previously gone unnoticed.

As the community looks to get back on its feet with the global pandemic hopefully on the way out, the Markham-based Trureal Inc., is making inroads into the Aurora area aimed at connecting local businesses – and their customers – to charities and non-profits across the country.

Coconut Village Nails & Spa, a salon on Wellington Street, immediately west of Yonge Street, is the first local business to become a member of the Trureal Community Program.

The program allows customers to shop locally while participating businesses can direct a portion of their sales to some of the many charities and non-profits that serve the local community and the country as a whole.

“The whole idea is you can't have economic development without social development,” says Horace Thomas, Chairman of Trureal. “The idea of being able to shop locally or nationally and have a portion of your spend directed to the charity of your choice is really important for every community. It becomes a win-win for all participants”

The program is essentially a loyalty program driving dollars into the hands of charities and non-profits without anyone having to take money out of their pocket.

Trureal gets its own revenue through fees from participating merchants and businesses, meaning charities receive 100 per cent of all donations made at the point of sale.

Customers can choose up to three of more than 86,000 registered charities across Canada to benefit from their purchases and businesses in turn can set up to five per cent of each sale to be directed to their clients' chosen charities.

“This goes naturally with what I am about as a person and a business owner,” says Phiona Durrant, owner of Coconut Village Nails & Spa. “It's all about giving and I am a social worker by profession, so when I can encourage people to donate towards Rose of Sharon Services for Young Mothers or Yellow Brick House, this is an opportunity for my business to do that, make it convenient and a platform like this is perfect. We always say it takes a village and this is a little piece that one can do.”

As a woman who knows what it is like to be a single mom and to deal with an unplanned pregnancy, Ms. Durrant is well aware of the importance charities like Rose of Sharon have in the community but people sometimes don't know how to take that first step towards giving.

A platform like this, she says, removes some of the guess-work.

“When I heard about this program, there is so much it can do,” she says.

Adds Mr. Thomas: “Consumers want choice. They don't want to be dictated as to who they want to give to. Maybe a merchant wants to give to what is important to the merchant, but if a merchant or a business wants to connect far more deeply with a customer, this gives them the option to give to whom they want to give to. Trureal has democratized consumer choice, by giving them the option to use any card they want, support any merchant they want, give to whatever charity they want, and that is really revolutionary.

“Trureal is putting significant resources into really scaling up the Town of Aurora in concert with the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Sport Aurora, and we want to be able to have the Town of Aurora and the Economic [Development Board] to be a part of this. At the end of the day, it is about re-starting every community. We know COVID-19 has really exacerbated a decline in charitable giving and at the end of the day I think all stakeholders, be it Sport Aurora, the Chamber, Businesses, non-profits, charities have come together under one collective will called Trureal to make a win-win scenario for all peoples involved.”

To learn more, visit trureal.com.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter