More than 900 retailers have partnered with a new Australian venture that could see them channel millions of dollars to charity through an online shopping platform.
Expedia, THE ICONIC, ASOS, Katies, Pillow Talk, Rebel Sport, Dan Murphy’s, Estee Lauder, Interflora and Weight Watchers are some of the big names working with online fundraising shopping platform, The Generous Shopper.
The ecommerce platform is the brainchild of a husband and wife team who want to tap into the $14 billion that Australians are spending online every year.
And the best part? It doesn’t cost shoppers or charities a cent.
The retailers donate a percentage of each dollar spent by online shoppers to The Generous Shopper, which distributes funds to charity.
The process is simple – users register, pick a charity and download a plugin or click the link to their preferred retailer and start shopping.
Co-founder Sarah Chatterjee said there was potential for millions of dollars to be donated.
“This is a really easy way that everyone can do their shopping online and give money to a cause close to their hearts at the same time,” Ms Chatterjee said.
“Australians already lead the US in our average online spend per capita, and are second only to the UK, so the potential is huge. Who doesn’t want to feel they can do some good whenever they shop?”
The Generous Shopper has partnered with eight Australian charities on launch: Assist a Sista, Beyond Blue, CARE Australia, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Destiny Rescue, Good Return, Habitat for Humanity and World Animal Protection.
Nicolle, co-founder of Assist a Sista said the charity fell in love with The Generous Shopper concept.
“It’s heartening to see so many retailers are already on-board. In an increasingly tough landscape for fundraising, we are thrilled that The Generous Shopper will provide help for our Assist 2 Learn program. This program allows us to provide new uniforms, backpacks, shoes and extracurricular activities for every child that has to start a new school when they enter refuge,” Nicolle said.
“One online shopper could raise hundreds of dollars every year, and won’t even need to change their shopping habits.”
Patrick Schmidt, CEO at THE ICONIC, said the company is very pleased to be one of the first Australian retailers to align with this new charity donation model.
“The Generous Shopper is an inspiring initiative that we’re proud to partner with,” Mr Schmidt said.
“At THE ICONIC, unparalleled customer experience is our number one priority and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to delight shoppers. The ability to easily and seamlessly pay it forward at purchase is a wonderful enhancement to the services we already offer customers.”
Funds raised by shopping are calculated by retailers and distributed to charities by The Generous Shopper. Donation amounts are pre-determined by retail partners, and range from one to 35 per cent of the purchase price. The Generous Shopper then distributes a minimum of 50 per cent to charity.
The Generous Shopper team will increase the donation level to 75 per cent once the platform reaches the first $1 million in revenue. The remaining 25 per cent will be used to cover the cost of growing The Generous Shopper community and administering the service.
The charity partners on the launch
Assist A Sista helps survivors of domestic violence creating havens for women (and sometimes men) and their children once they have exited a refuge and are commencing their journey towards a safe new life in a new home
beyondblue is working to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety in the community by raising awareness and understanding, empowering people to seek help, and supporting recovery, management and resilience.
CARE Australia is an international humanitarian aid organisation fighting global poverty, with a special focus on empowering women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre assists and empowers asylum seekers to engage and work within the community. The ASRC works at an individual and structural level in trying to create the most just refugee determination system possible.
Destiny Rescue is dedicated to rescuing children from human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Good Return connects Australians to the working poor in the Asia Pacific who need a small loan to start or expand a small business, grow their income, and lift themselves out of poverty.
Habitat for Humanity works in thousands of communities and has built, rehabilitated and repaired well over 600,000 homes, sheltering more than 3 million people.
World Animal Protection has been moving the world to protect animals since 1981. They are the world’s leading animal welfare charity, active in more than 50 countries across Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. World Animal Protection works tirelessly to protect animals in all walks of life.
Ongoing, Generous Shoppers will be empowered to add their favourite charity to this initial list.
