Give Smart, Episode 11
What if the shopping that people already do could generate more consistent funding for schools and nonprofits?
In this episode of Give Smart, Steve Dueck and Paul Ingram of +Shop join Change to talk about their approach to “shopping with purpose,” why they believe everyday purchases can become a meaningful source of charitable funding, and what it takes to make that model work at scale.
+Shop connects everyday purchases with charitable giving. Shoppers can support schools, PTAs, education foundations, and other nonprofits while buying from participating brands, creating another way for organizations to raise money without constantly asking their communities for direct donations.
For Steve and Paul, schools were a natural place to start. Both have personal connections to educators and school communities, and they saw how much time parents, teachers, and volunteers spend trying to raise money for classrooms and student programs.
+Shop offers a different approach: turn spending that is already happening into an ongoing fundraising opportunity.
During the conversation, Steve and Paul also discuss how +Shop builds on ideas popularized by AmazonSmile.
The appeal of that model was simple: people could support an organization they cared about through purchases they were already making. +Shop takes that concept further by working across participating merchants and giving shoppers more flexibility in where their support goes.
That broader model also gives brands an opportunity to make giving part of the shopping experience while helping nonprofits reach supporters in new ways.
The shopper experience may feel simple, but there is a lot happening behind the scenes.
Programs like +Shop need to connect purchases to the right nonprofit, verify that organizations are eligible to receive funds, track charitable amounts, and ultimately distribute those funds.
Change supports +Shop with the infrastructure behind that process, including nonprofit data and verification, donation processing, reporting, and compliance support.
You can read more about the partnership in our +Shop and Change announcement.
One of the themes throughout the episode is that fundraising does not always have to begin with asking someone to give more.
Sometimes the opportunity is to rethink activity that is already happening.
People are already shopping. Brands are already looking for ways to build stronger relationships with customers. Schools and nonprofits are already looking for sustainable sources of funding.
+Shop is bringing those pieces together.
Watch the full episode above to hear Steve Dueck and Paul Ingram share how +Shop got started, why they are focused on schools and education, and where they see shopping-powered giving going next.
Explore more conversations with leaders building new approaches to giving in the Give Smart video series.
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