New Platform Matches Product Discounts With Nonprofit Crowdfunding
New Platform Matches Product Discounts With Nonprofit Crowdfunding
Nonprofits are perpetually budget constrained; even the large ones feel the pinch. 121Giving (say one-to-one giving) has created a special-purpose crowdfunding site to help.
Co-founder Liz Deering describes the problem she sees nonprofits facing, “Countless hours are spent by nonprofits running in-kind drives, asking local stores for donations and tracking down the goods they need to run their operations and serve their community. Our own Business of Nonprofits report found that 54% of NPOs do not ask retailers for discounts on products, and among those who do, 25% receive discounts of 15% or less. In addition, nonprofits struggle to connect with and engage an increasingly skeptical generation of donors. Stories of scandals and of mis-use of funds have left many charities wondering how to re-build trust and transparency with donors.”
To address these concerns, 121Giving has created special vendor relationships to obtain discounts for nonprofits and a crowdfunding platform to cover the remaining costs.
Liz explains, “121Giving is an online marketplace that NPOs can use to source discounted goods, and enable donors to help buy those goods. We’ve built a network of vendors who offer exclusive prices to charities, we’re harnessing the collective buying power that this $1.6 trillion industry deserves.”
“We’re putting control in the hands of the charity, to order what they need when they need it, instead of dealing with one-off donations arriving at their doors,” Liz continues. “Our crowdfunding platform enables charities to show donors exactly what they need, from furniture for a homeless shelter to backpacks for kids, and engage them in helping buy those items. Donors are reassured that their donation can only be spent to buy goods.”
Liz has a bold vision for the future. “We envision a world where the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of charities will lead to a truly level playing field for all charities from small to large to get access to the goods they need. We’re passionate about creating the most tangible form of online giving to date, and we envision this leading to more engaged and empathetic communities who see the needs around them and help make an impact. We believe that by providing opportunities for brands to engage in our marketplace, we’re building momentum for a new and much-needed kind of product-based corporate social responsibility.”
On Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 1:00 Eastern, Liz will join me here for a live interview to talk about the unique 121Giving model. Tune in here then to watch the interview live. Post questions in the comments below or tweet questions before the interview to @devindthorpe.
You can download an audio podcast here or subscribe via iTunes.
More about 121Giving:
Twitter: @121Giving
121Giving is a digital marketplace that harnesses the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. charities, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities. For 501c3 organizations, 121 offers an exclusive, consistent supply of discounted goods from charity-minded retailers, merchants and brands and a free crowdfunding platform. 121’s eCommerce and crowdfunding platform is revolutionizing the way people visualize, connect with and give to the physical needs around them.
121Giving is offering free webinars for nonprofits.
Liz’s bio:
Twitter: @lizdeering
Liz Deering is a social entrepreneur, strategic thinker and technology enthusiast whose experiences with both category-disrupting startups and traditional nonprofit organizations provided the skills and fueled her passion to help launch 121Giving (pronounced One-To-One Giving) – a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace that harnesses the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. charities, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities.
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