Jersey Mike's Launched Annual Best Buddies Fundraiser
The sandwich chain is accepting customer donations at 3,300 locations to support nonprofit disability programs.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Jersey Mike's has kicked off its fourth annual fundraising campaign for Best Buddies International throughout October. Customers at 3,300 locations, as well as those ordering via the website or app, can participate by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar.
Why it matters
The partnership supports the nonprofit's mission to provide inclusion programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Beyond fundraising, Jersey Mike's integrates this mission into its own business by maintaining dedicated training and hiring practices for those individuals.
The chain raised $4.3 million in 2024 for the nonprofit, which currently operates over 4,000 chapters worldwide. Best Buddies International serves more than 1.5 million people, with the funds collected this month contributing to that reach across 3,300 storefronts.
The players
Jersey Mike's Subs
A national sandwich franchise headquartered in Tinton Falls that manages 3,300 locations.
Best Buddies International
A global nonprofit founded in 1989 that operates 4,000 chapters dedicated to disability inclusion.
Anthony Kennedy Shriver
The founder of Best Buddies International.
The details
Participating locations facilitate donations through a point-of-sale round-up mechanism, with the company contributing 100% of these tax-deductible gifts to the nonprofit. This collaborative model pairs the chain's national operational footprint with the nonprofit's candidate-matching infrastructure. The strategy extends to internal operations, where the company implements specific training and hiring frameworks designed to accommodate individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Timeline
1989: Best Buddies International was founded.
2024: Jersey Mike's raised $4.3 million for Best Buddies.
October 1, 2026: Fundraising campaign start date.
October 31, 2026: Fundraising campaign end date.
Market Landscape
This month-long initiative follows the precedent set by the 2024 fundraising campaign, which generated $4.3 million in contributions. It reflects a multi-year strategy where the chain aligns its national operational scale with the nonprofit's ongoing disability advocacy programs.
Operators should observe how the company utilizes its point-of-sale systems to streamline recurring charitable collections without disrupting transaction speed. The integration of specialized hiring practices alongside a public-facing fundraiser serves as a model for linking corporate social responsibility with internal human capital development.
The takeaway
The campaign demonstrates how a high-volume retail business can successfully integrate philanthropy through seamless customer-facing donation prompts at scale. Operators looking to mimic this model should ensure their POS software is configured to track voluntary contributions separately from revenue to simplify end-of-year accounting.
Further reading
For more on how companies structure charitable commitments, see Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NJBIZ.
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