Staff members at the Design Cafe handed over half of their spring semester tips in a $281 check to United Way on Tuesday.

All of last spring’s approximately 20 student staff members took part in the decision to donate.

The staff held meetings to determine what to do with their tips, and decided to donate to charity, said Erin Mork, junior in graphic design who has worked at the cafe since it opened in October.

“We got a lot of money in tips, and we used some of it to buy a meal for the staff, but it didn’t seem like it was being spent very wisely,” Mork said.

“We just thought [a donation] would be a nice way to get rid of all the money,” she said.

A jar with a note that reads “Help us fill our tip jar so we can go to college, too!” sits near the register at the Design Cafe.

Mork said customers didn’t know what the students were doing with their tips unless they specifically asked.

Rich Lampkin, executive director of Story County United Way, said the donation was unexpected.

“We didn’t know the students were doing this,” Lampkin said. “They took the initiative on their own.”

Mork said the summer Design Cafe staff members haven’t decided whether they will donate their tips as well.

The Design Cafe is open weekdays this summer.