A national department store is looking to help local nonprofit organizations raise funds this fall.

On Nov. 6, Belk will host its semi-annual charity sale, but in the mean time, the corporation is looking for participating organizations.

"We held our last charity sale in the spring and we had around 40 organizations participate," said Linda Millar, who is the Belk regional administrative
assistant in Gainesville.

To participate in the sale, organizations sell $5 tickets to interested shoppers in advance. The ticket entitles the shopper to extra discounts the day of the event, ranging from an additional 20 percent to 70 percent off.

The first 100 customers on Nov. 6 will receive a gift card.

Belk cardholders also will receive double rewards for their purchases. Shoppers can also register to win one of three $1,000 Belk shopping sprees.

The charities keep 100 percent of the proceeds from their individual ticket sales. The participating organizations also are automatically entered to win one of three $1,000 donations from Belk.

"This is something that the whole company is doing," Millar said.

With companywide participation, shoppers can purchase a ticket from a local nonprofit and shop at any of the 300-plus Belk locations.

Since launching the event in 2007, the corporation says it has raised more than $22 million for participating nonprofit groups.

Beginning Oct. 29, shoppers also can purchase the $5 tickets at a Belk store and the proceeds from those sales will be split among the participating nonprofit groups.

There is no limit to the number of tickets charities can
sell.