However, before we all sign-up, there are a few things that both donors and charities should know about these sites and their policies. By beginning an on line shopping session by stopping at one of the more than half-dozen intermediary sites, a shopper may name a charity to which he or she wishes to contribute. Each site has its own policy on what organizations qualify for donations. Once shoppers designate a specific group and make their purchases, a varying percentage of the price of items purchased from select on line vendors will be forwarded to the intermediary site. The site then distributes all, or a portion, of that percentage to the designated charity.
Most sites keep part of the percentage as a commission.
Other sites, which pass the entire percentage onto the designated organization, often make their money by selling advertising, product placement or information about shoppers' on line habits to market researchers. Most sites have a minimum amount that must first be reached before they will forward a check to the charity for what the organization has been designated. Others may make disbursement payments only a few times per year. In addition, the on line vendor may have restrictions and requirements that might delay your charity from getting its due. J. Crew , for example, requires a site to meet a certain commission threshold before it will cut a check.