Opt-In - Bemidji Alliance

The Gifts of Hope Fund is focused on helping locally owned, homegrown businesses who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and are in critical need of assistance.

Gifts of Hope Hospitality Edition is for small businesses who have been most heavily affected and impacted due to the Governor’s Emergency Executive Orders, most recently EEO 20-99 which went into effect on November 18th.

These businesses include restaurants, bars, and other food service establishments, hotels and lodging, as well as gyms, fitness centers, and other indoor recreation, event, and entertainment venues.

If your business fits this criteria and can benefit from this program, please complete the Opt-In application form below to enter the lottery selection. If your business is selected, a Bemidji Alliance representative will contact you with further details. Matching funds are still being collected. At this time it is unknown how many businesses will be selected.

The deadline to submit an Opt-In for your business has passed. Thank you for your interest!

How It Works For Customers

The campaign will be ONE WEEK (5 business days), running from Monday, December 14th at 8:00am through Friday, December 18th at 5pm.
All HOSPITALITY related businesses that opt-in and qualify to participate will be listed on the Bemidji Alliance website.
During the week of the campaign, customers have the following options to choose from for each business listed:
- Purchase a $50 Gift Certificate, get a $20 Gift Certificate for FREE
- Gift a Gift Certificate
- Donate
  - Directly to the Business
  - Pay it Forward
50 gift certificates per business will be available for purchase.
Donations made through Pay it Forward will operate through the United Way of Bemidji Area, and will be distributed to families of hospitality staff affected during the closure AND families in need in the community.
Upon purchase, customers will receive email notification of their order.
Each gift certificate purchase comes with a unique verification code. You will need to provide these codes to the business you are patronizing at the time of redemption; they will utilize these codes to prevent duplication and misuse.
If you have Gifted a Gift Certificate, you will need to display your name on the certificate in order for it to be verified as authentic and redeemable.
Certificates may not be redeemed for cash. Any amounts not used during the initial purchase will need to be tracked by the business and customer for future redemption.
PLEASE NOTE: A credit card processing fee of 3.5% will apply. In order to allow time for our volunteers to process your order and notify the business, certificates cannot be redeemed until Monday, December 21. This will also be noted on your order notification.

Any further questions, please contact giftsofhope@bemidjialliance.org

Agreement and Terms:
By opting in as a customer of this program, I agree to abide by the instructions and terms set forth. Bemidji Alliance, it’s partners, and sponsors of the Gifts of Hope Fund are not liable for any loss, misuse or inability to redeem these gift certificates.

How It Works For Businesses

To qualify, businesses must be a locally owned or homegrown small business within the Bemidji School District and hospitality industry. These businesses include restaurants, bars, and other food service establishments, hotels and lodging, as well as gyms, fitness centers, and other indoor recreation, event, and entertainment venues.
Upon your Opt-In submission, your business will be entered in a lottery to be showcased in the gift certificate campaign occurring Monday, December 14th - Friday December 18th.
It is unknown at this time how many businesses will be showcases as matching donations are still being confirmed.
If your business is selected through the lottery you will be contacted by a Bemidji Alliance representative with further details.
50 gift certificates will available for sale for each business.
Customers can purchase $50 gift certificate and received an additional $20 gift certificate for FREE.
The Bemidji Area Gifts of Hope Fund will cover the additional $20 per certificate.
Customers can purchase gift certificates for themselves or gift it to someone else.
Customers will also have the option to Donate to the business or pay it forward to someone in need.
Pay if Forward donations will operate through the United Way and go to families of hospitality staff affected during the closure AND families in need in the community.
Upon purchase, the customer will receive confirmation of their order via email, including instructions on how to redeem at your store.
Each gift certificate purchased comes with a unique verification code. Customers will need to provide these codes to you at the time of redemption; you will utilize these codes to prevent duplication and misuse.
Certificates may not be redeemed for cash. Any amounts not used during the initial purchase will need to be tracked by the business and customer for future redemption.
In order to allow time for our volunteers to process the orders and notify the businesses, certificates cannot be redeemed until Monday, December 21st. This will also be noted on the customer's order notification.
Upon the closing of the campaign, a Bemidji Alliance representative will contact you via email with a copy of an Excel spreadsheet reflecting your business’ gift certificate sales for that round.
You as the business owner will need to track the redemption of these certificates and come up with a system you are comfortable with.
A check for the full amount ($70 per gift certificate sold) will be sent within the week to your business for the number of gift certificates sold within the campaign.

Any further questions, please contact giftsofhope@bemidjialliance.org

Agreement and Terms:

By opting in to this program, I agree to honor any and all gift cards purchased for my business. I understand the gift cards purchased have no expiration date and I am responsible to track when gift cards are redeemed. Bemidji Alliance, it’s partners, and sponsors of the Gifts of Hope Fund are not liable for any loss, misuse or inability to process theses gift certificates.