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The Elevator Pitch — Say It in 30 Seconds

One clean way to explain ShopGiv to supporters and to businesses, plus the one-liners to memorize for every situation.

In one line: ShopGiv turns everyday shopping at local businesses into donations for the nonprofit you choose — free to shoppers, funded by vendors' givebacks. Per ShopGiv's impact model (2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data), an active supporter generates about $571/year, of which 90.5% reaches the nonprofit after a 9.5% platform fee. Nonprofits grow it by enrolling supporters, not recruiting vendors.

If you can't explain ShopGiv in a sentence, your supporters and businesses can't either. This page gives you tight, memorable language for every audience. Pick the version that fits who you're talking to, memorize it, and make sure your whole team uses the same words.


The 10-second version (everyone)

"ShopGiv turns everyday shopping into donations for our nonprofit — at no extra cost to you. You shop where you already shop; the businesses give back."

That's the one to know cold. Everything below is a variation for a specific audience.


For supporters

The ask:

"Download the ShopGiv app, pick us as your nonprofit, and then just shop like you normally do at the local businesses on there. Every time you do, they send us a donation. It costs you nothing — same stores, same prices."

The one-liner:

"Shop where you already shop, and it gives back to us — free."


For businesses

Lead with customers, never charity. (Full playbook: vendor recruitment.)

The ask:

"I'm not here for a donation — I'm here to bring you customers. We have a community of supporters who want to shop with local businesses that give back. There's no fee and no monthly cost; you only contribute a small donation when one of them actually buys from you. You get the customer; the giving only happens on a sale."

The one-liner:

"I'll bring you customers — it only costs you a small donation when they buy."


For sponsors (the upgrade)

When a business is ready for more than a listing:

"Instead of a logo on a banner that no one can measure, we'll put a QR code at every table at our event so the whole room downloads the app and shops with you — and afterward, we'll show you exactly how many customers and dollars we sent your way."

The one-liner:

"Sponsorship you can actually measure — real customers, real numbers."


For your board and ambassadors

"We've made supporting us free and automatic. Get your friends to download the app and pick us, and bring me any local businesses you know — every business and supporter you add grows our donations. You'll even get your own link so we can see your impact."


Tips for delivering it

  • Lead with the benefit, not the mechanics. "It's free and gives back" beats explaining how the platform works. Save the details for after they're interested.
  • One audience, one version. Don't give a business the supporter pitch — they care about customers, not convenience.
  • End with a clear next step. "Can I get you set up right now?" beats "let me know if you're interested."
  • Get the whole team saying the same thing. Consistency makes it stick. Hand this page to every board member, volunteer, and staffer.

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

ShopGiv is a free app that turns your everyday shopping at participating local businesses into donations for a nonprofit you choose — at no extra cost to you. The vendor's giveback funds it, and 90.5% of each donation reaches the nonprofit after a 9.5% platform fee.
To supporters: download ShopGiv, pick your nonprofit, and shop local as usual — your purchases generate donations. To businesses: join to reach customers who choose businesses that give back; you only contribute a giveback on sales made through ShopGiv, computed per transaction.
No. A nonprofit's donations come from its enrolled supporters shopping at any participating vendor — not from vendors it recruits. Signing up businesses just adds more local places supporters can shop and give.