• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, September 11, 2012

Unilever on Tuesday announced a partnership with Shoparoo, an app for iOS and Android devices that lets users turn grocery receipts in fundraising dollars. By snapping a picture of a shopping receipt with the app, users earn points toward cash donations to charities and schools from the companies behind participating brands and products.

In this case, Walmart customers using Shoparoo who buy Unilever brands including Ragu, Skippy, Country Crock, Knorr, Breyers, Hellmann’s, Dove, Axe, Degree, Suave, Vaseline, or Ponds products will double donations made to the schools of their choice.

Receipts under $10 typically convert into a one-cent donation for the local school; those between $10 and $49 into a two-cent donation; purchases of $50 to $99 translate into a four-cent donation; and those over $100 become a six-cent donation, according a recent Reuters report.

So receipts with Unilever brands will be worth twice as much to schools as other receipts under the new deal with Shoparoo. In exchange, the CPG giant gains insight into anonymous consumer purchasing habits in relation to its products.

After only a few weeks in the market, San Francisco-based Shoparoo says its app is already benefiting more than 500 schools in 43 states. Every U.S. school K-12 is listed in the app to select for donations.

Besides Walmart, Shoparoo is working with other retail chains including Safeway and CVS

The Unilever campaign will run at least until the end of 2012.