What if giving could be as simple as shopping? What if the very act of supporting local businesses also meant nonprofits finally got the funding they desperately need? And what if, instead of being forced into one cause, one gets to choose the school, nonprofit, or community initiative closest to their heart? Those are the questions Shop Click Give is answering, and according to President Ron Ferrin, it's a solution designed to bring clarity, simplicity, and impact to the way people give.
"The biggest misconception we face is that this is complicated," says Ferrin. "But it's not. It is a simple and automated way to support local businesses and charitable organizations. We are all about local businesses."
The idea behind Shop Click Give is straightforward. Consumers shop online from participating local businesses, and a portion of those purchases goes directly to a nonprofit of their choice. Unlike many cause-marketing initiatives where the business predetermines the charity, Shop Click Give allows consumers to decide. "What you are passionate about matters," Ferrin explains. "If we don't have your nonprofit listed, you can still give us the address, and we will send it directly. It really is that simple."
The model arrives at a crucial moment, as nonprofits nationwide navigate a range of challenges. Many are working tirelessly to meet growing demands, yet some needs remain unmet, impacting the communities and individuals who depend on their services. Smaller, community-based organizations in particular may struggle to access the support they need to thrive.
Ferrin understands this challenge on a personal level. The idea for Shop Click Give grew out of his first venture, which he created to help teachers like his wife, who were spending their own money on classroom supplies. That effort didn't scale as he hoped, but it sparked something bigger. "Shop Click Give is really the second step of Teacher Partners," he recalls. "It started with helping teachers, and it expanded into helping nonprofits of every kind."
This personal journey gave rise to a platform that now connects three groups: businesses, nonprofits, and consumers in a mutually beneficial way. "If you are a business, we bring you customers. If you are a nonprofit, we bring you donors. And if you are a consumer, you get to support both while buying things you were going to buy anyway," says Ferrin.
For local businesses, often overshadowed by online retail giants, Shop Click Give offers more than just visibility. It taps into the growing "buy local" movement and provides a direct incentive for consumers to support community shops. "People love to say they want to buy local," Ferrin notes. "But usually that means scrolling through a list and maybe finding one store to visit. With Shop Click Give, you can buy local goods right from your kitchen table; products, gift cards, you name it, without any extra effort."
This simplicity is crucial. While some businesses donate to predetermined causes as a marketing tactic, Shop Click Give helps remove the guesswork and gives power back to the consumer. "Cause marketing works best when it connects with people's passions," says Ferrin. "That's what turns shoppers into buyers. And we've made that process seamless."
The company's growth strategy is deliberately local, aiming for success in smaller markets before expanding outward. Ferrin points to Central Virginia, where Shop Click Give has built its first hub. Each community gets its own page, connecting residents to local businesses and nonprofits in their region. From there, the model can scale, whether to the next county or across the globe, while staying true to its mission of empowering local economies. "If we don't have relationships in your local community, just wait. It will come. In fact, contact me, tell me the need, and I will fill that void," Ferrin says.
For nonprofits and schools, the impact can be immediate. Band boosters, Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), and other underfunded groups can tap into a new revenue stream without running constant fundraisers. For businesses, it's a chance to attract socially conscious customers. And for consumers, it's an effortless way to align everyday purchases with the causes they care about most.
Ferrin believes this combination of giving and local support is what sets Shop Click Give apart. "It's not just about making donations easier," he says. "It's about creating a cycle where everyone benefits. When giving is simple, people give more. And when local businesses thrive, so do the communities they serve."
In a time when both nonprofits and small businesses are struggling to survive, Shop Click Give offers a bridge. It connects consumer spending with community needs, turning ordinary shopping into extraordinary impact. And at its heart, it's not complicated at all. It's just a smarter way to give.
