Because nonprofits are exempt from federal income tax, there are legal rules that each organization needs to follow to keep its status as a nonprofit. Nonprofit organizations can sell merchandise to fund operations, but income from gift shops and a nonprofit online store is often considered taxable. Before setting up your website, talk to your lawyer or financial advisor to determine how the site could impact your organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why should you consider a nonprofit store? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA nonprofit online store offers a source of consistent revenue that can help you fund your organization. It is a store in which you sell merchandise related to your business. This could be anything from branded clothing and other goods to online webinars or e-books that help educate professionals in your field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ecommerce is a steadily growing part of the economy. The U.S. Census reported<\/a> that in the third quarter of 2020, ecommerce sales were 37.1% higher than in the third quarter of 2019. Operating an online shopping site is also more cost-effective than running a physical retail location. <\/p>\n\n\n\nNonprofit online stores: How would one fit into your overall fundraising?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYour fundraising strategy should be holistic, incorporating a variety of touchpoints. If you are not fundraising online through crowdsourcing, ecommerce, online campaigns<\/a>, and other internet-based charity marketing strategies, you could be missing a large portion of potential donors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\nRelated Article: The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSetting up a charity shopping website to help your nonprofit branding<\/a> and marketing will also fit into your overall strategy by providing another avenue by which people can donate. If you have a consistent product to offer, this can also become a steady revenue stream, unlike a grant or a single donation. As a bonus, when people check out in your online store, you can keep their email address on hand for future touchpoints and other marketing campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich platforms can you use? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYour nonprofit can use a variety of sites to sell products, including Amazon and Etsy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SERRV is a fair-trade organization<\/a> that has been in operation since 1949. It offers an excellent example of a nonprofit online store using its website to sell fair-trade merchandise directly from the artisans who benefit from the organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/img_604104bf7e8ed-600x340.png\")
The Serrv<\/a> online store is an excellent example of how to creatively raise funds for your nonprofit and its mission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat should your nonprofit sell?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIdeally, your merchandise should tie in with your company’s mission. If your company is dedicated to cleaning up the environment, selling branded plastic water bottles probably isn’t a good fit. Ask your employees and current donors what they would be likely to buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some choices include branded merchandise like clothing, coffee mugs, pens, and other items that people use often. But this is also a chance to get creative. If you have a popular class or event, see if you can turn it into a webinar that people will pay for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When selling physical merchandise, factor in the cost it takes to make it and to ship it. It’s easy to find a vendor to print your logo onto tote bags or t-shirts, but other items you decide to sell may not be easy to make. Logistics should be easy to facilitate and cost-effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best Friends Animal Society<\/a> has an online store with a wide variety of merchandise for people and their pets. Since the organization helps animals, offering a branded pet line is a great tie-in for the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/img_604104c3ba9a6-600x263.png\")
Best Friends Store<\/a> features an engaging landing page for customers and supporters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Getty Museum Store<\/a> has typical gift shop items and merchandise that ties into various exhibits throughout the museum. It brings the gift shop to people at home so that they can shop long after their visit. The store includes buttons with information about upcoming exhibits throughout the online store, which is a good way to integrate your store with your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/img_604104c5e541f-600x253.png\")
The Getty Museum<\/a> online shop integrates arts involvement with specialized apparel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow should you price your products?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nUnlike for-profit businesses, your goal with your online sales should be to cover expenses associated with running the organization. Making excessive revenue from your online store could open you up to tax liabilities and potential legal issues that could impact your status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before setting your pricing strategy, do some market research with other nonprofit organizations. Calculate your manufacturing and shipping costs and then determine a reasonable profit level that you can achieve by selling your merchandise. When researching the market, ask other nonprofits about their target profit margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce you have chosen your desired online retail platform, determined what items to sell, and developed a pricing strategy, it’s time to set up your store. You will need to include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The category of your store<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The store’s name<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Payment information <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The store’s theme<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your products<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Integration information (i.e. PayPal)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There should be information on your website about your charity. Communicate to people where the proceeds of their purchases from your nonprofit online store are going. If a percentage goes to fund your organization’s mission, state that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How should you promote your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBuilding awareness of your online store can help you increase sales and enhance your fundraising<\/a>. Use your organization’s social media pages to drive people to your shop or to promote sales. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society<\/a> is an organization dedicated to helping marine wildlife. It uses its Facebook page to post-sales and promo-codes, driving traffic to the online store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Sea](\"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/img_604104c914109-600x428.png\")
Sea Shepherd<\/a> uses Facebook ads and social media to promote sales and drive traffic to its online store.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Nonprofit online stores: How would one fit into your overall fundraising?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYour fundraising strategy should be holistic, incorporating a variety of touchpoints. If you are not fundraising online through crowdsourcing, ecommerce, online campaigns<\/a>, and other internet-based charity marketing strategies, you could be missing a large portion of potential donors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\nRelated Article: The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSetting up a charity shopping website to help your nonprofit branding<\/a> and marketing will also fit into your overall strategy by providing another avenue by which people can donate. If you have a consistent product to offer, this can also become a steady revenue stream, unlike a grant or a single donation. As a bonus, when people check out in your online store, you can keep their email address on hand for future touchpoints and other marketing campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich platforms can you use? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYour nonprofit can use a variety of sites to sell products, including Amazon and Etsy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SERRV is a fair-trade organization<\/a> that has been in operation since 1949. It offers an excellent example of a nonprofit online store using its website to sell fair-trade merchandise directly from the artisans who benefit from the organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Serrv<\/a> online store is an excellent example of how to creatively raise funds for your nonprofit and its mission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat should your nonprofit sell?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIdeally, your merchandise should tie in with your company’s mission. If your company is dedicated to cleaning up the environment, selling branded plastic water bottles probably isn’t a good fit. Ask your employees and current donors what they would be likely to buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some choices include branded merchandise like clothing, coffee mugs, pens, and other items that people use often. But this is also a chance to get creative. If you have a popular class or event, see if you can turn it into a webinar that people will pay for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When selling physical merchandise, factor in the cost it takes to make it and to ship it. It’s easy to find a vendor to print your logo onto tote bags or t-shirts, but other items you decide to sell may not be easy to make. Logistics should be easy to facilitate and cost-effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best Friends Animal Society<\/a> has an online store with a wide variety of merchandise for people and their pets. Since the organization helps animals, offering a branded pet line is a great tie-in for the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBest Friends Store<\/a> features an engaging landing page for customers and supporters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Getty Museum Store<\/a> has typical gift shop items and merchandise that ties into various exhibits throughout the museum. It brings the gift shop to people at home so that they can shop long after their visit. The store includes buttons with information about upcoming exhibits throughout the online store, which is a good way to integrate your store with your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Getty Museum<\/a> online shop integrates arts involvement with specialized apparel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow should you price your products?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nUnlike for-profit businesses, your goal with your online sales should be to cover expenses associated with running the organization. Making excessive revenue from your online store could open you up to tax liabilities and potential legal issues that could impact your status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before setting your pricing strategy, do some market research with other nonprofit organizations. Calculate your manufacturing and shipping costs and then determine a reasonable profit level that you can achieve by selling your merchandise. When researching the market, ask other nonprofits about their target profit margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce you have chosen your desired online retail platform, determined what items to sell, and developed a pricing strategy, it’s time to set up your store. You will need to include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The category of your store<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The store’s name<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Payment information <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The store’s theme<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your products<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Integration information (i.e. PayPal)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There should be information on your website about your charity. Communicate to people where the proceeds of their purchases from your nonprofit online store are going. If a percentage goes to fund your organization’s mission, state that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How should you promote your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBuilding awareness of your online store can help you increase sales and enhance your fundraising<\/a>. Use your organization’s social media pages to drive people to your shop or to promote sales. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society<\/a> is an organization dedicated to helping marine wildlife. It uses its Facebook page to post-sales and promo-codes, driving traffic to the online store. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSea Shepherd<\/a> uses Facebook ads and social media to promote sales and drive traffic to its online store.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Setting up a charity shopping website to help your nonprofit branding<\/a> and marketing will also fit into your overall strategy by providing another avenue by which people can donate. If you have a consistent product to offer, this can also become a steady revenue stream, unlike a grant or a single donation. As a bonus, when people check out in your online store, you can keep their email address on hand for future touchpoints and other marketing campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your nonprofit can use a variety of sites to sell products, including Amazon and Etsy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SERRV is a fair-trade organization<\/a> that has been in operation since 1949. It offers an excellent example of a nonprofit online store using its website to sell fair-trade merchandise directly from the artisans who benefit from the organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, your merchandise should tie in with your company’s mission. If your company is dedicated to cleaning up the environment, selling branded plastic water bottles probably isn’t a good fit. Ask your employees and current donors what they would be likely to buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some choices include branded merchandise like clothing, coffee mugs, pens, and other items that people use often. But this is also a chance to get creative. If you have a popular class or event, see if you can turn it into a webinar that people will pay for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When selling physical merchandise, factor in the cost it takes to make it and to ship it. It’s easy to find a vendor to print your logo onto tote bags or t-shirts, but other items you decide to sell may not be easy to make. Logistics should be easy to facilitate and cost-effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Best Friends Animal Society<\/a> has an online store with a wide variety of merchandise for people and their pets. Since the organization helps animals, offering a branded pet line is a great tie-in for the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Getty Museum Store<\/a> has typical gift shop items and merchandise that ties into various exhibits throughout the museum. It brings the gift shop to people at home so that they can shop long after their visit. The store includes buttons with information about upcoming exhibits throughout the online store, which is a good way to integrate your store with your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike for-profit businesses, your goal with your online sales should be to cover expenses associated with running the organization. Making excessive revenue from your online store could open you up to tax liabilities and potential legal issues that could impact your status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before setting your pricing strategy, do some market research with other nonprofit organizations. Calculate your manufacturing and shipping costs and then determine a reasonable profit level that you can achieve by selling your merchandise. When researching the market, ask other nonprofits about their target profit margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have chosen your desired online retail platform, determined what items to sell, and developed a pricing strategy, it’s time to set up your store. You will need to include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n There should be information on your website about your charity. Communicate to people where the proceeds of their purchases from your nonprofit online store are going. If a percentage goes to fund your organization’s mission, state that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Building awareness of your online store can help you increase sales and enhance your fundraising<\/a>. Use your organization’s social media pages to drive people to your shop or to promote sales. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society<\/a> is an organization dedicated to helping marine wildlife. It uses its Facebook page to post-sales and promo-codes, driving traffic to the online store. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich platforms can you use? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What should your nonprofit sell?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How should you price your products?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
How should you promote your store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n