Nonprofits must enroll with malls in order to be eligible to be selected. They also need to motivate their supporters to get online and buy, because often individual vendors within the malls set a minimum of collected contributions that expires within a year. But it can be done.
Animal shelters seem a big donor attraction.
What is new for nonprofits is marketing the online opportunities. One of the best ways to check out a charity mall is to contact nonprofits already listed on the site and ask if their experience has been positive. Reviews of vendors are also available in publications such as Philanthropy Journal, as well as through on-line news groups and listservs. Before finally picking a vendor, make sure your organization is meeting state requirements for nonprofits. Otherwise your new online visibility could backfire.