3 Reasons Why We Love Good360: The Online Donation Matching Network

If you’ve ever experienced nonprofit work from the inside out, you are more than aware of the level of grind required by organizations to make miracles happen from shoestring budgets. Often under-resourced and understaffed, many nonprofits rely on a bevy of donations and in-kind resources to keep the lights on, all the while meeting the needs of the people and communities they serve.

So, when we stumbled across Good360 — a free quasi-social networking site helping nonprofits source donations from companies eager to give — we were immediately inclined to share its unique business model that “works with companies, charities and individuals to make the business of giving simpler, more efficient and more effective.”

According to its mission statement, Good360 works with companies to help nonprofit organizations by matching donations with over 40,000 pre-screened charities. As a result, critically needed in-kind donations are diverted from landfills, and Good360 is able to provide real-time impact data and stories directly to the donating company.

Here are three more reasons why we like this triple-bottom-line business model:

1. Efficiency

No more letter writing, Craigslist digging or labor-intensive GoFundMe campaigns to manage when setting up a profile on Good360 will do. Nonprofits can get back precious staff time and ditch the countless hours spent searching for products or donors to help meet basic needs for the organization. Budgets can also be maximized to spend money where it is needed most and less on things that can easily come secondhand.

Setting up an account is free and seamless. An organization can simply register, create a compelling online profile showcasing the results and direct impact of its work, and develop a wish list, or browse existing available donations.

2. Environmental impact

Re-claiming and repurposing products to keep them out of landfills is a no-brainer. As we think through the donation model of the Good360 platform, companies also have the privilege of rolling out strategic corporate social responsibility plans that adhere to their values through selecting the most appropriate nonprofit partners to provide their donation.

Where diverting previously used or simply excess materials or products responsibly was inefficient, the adoption of a tool like Good360 makes it easier to responsibly dispose of unwanted items in lieu of paying for them to enter the waste stream.

For companies also looking to provide hard data and results to higher-ups and stakeholders, tangible feedback and results are immediately available, reported and shared publicly.

From furniture to office supplies, these highly used and valued products can find a safe home with pre-qualified charities who can also re-submit them to the system if they choose to offload donations to another organization.

3. Community

Good360’s site is just as much an ecosystem for long-term connections as it is an entity bridging the gap for companies and organizations coming together to share resources. Relationships can stem from one small connection and donation that could then lead to additional involvement and investment.

JP Morgan Chase, Gap and Amscan are just a few of the corporate brands that have partnered with Good360. According to an online testimony by Charles Zdrojowy from Tempur Sealy International"

“There are many reasons a partnership with Good360 works for Tempur-Pedic, but by far and away the foremost reason is that Good360 saves Tempur-Pedic the time and energy of ensuring our product is going to fully vetted and qualified recipients. This ensures that the beds that Tempur-Pedic donates go to those truly in need and protects our brand.”

For additional information about the platform and to get involved, visit www.good360.org.

Image credit: Good360