Charity Shops: A Way for NGOs to Generate Income
- Jessica Oyarbide
- Aug 29, 2024
- 2 min read
Lack of funding often prevents major causes and projects from achieving the necessary impact. Unsustainable organizational models pose a long-term challenge, especially in complex contexts. Charity Shops are a viable alternative for marketing and supporting causes at the same time.
Charity shops are a type of social enterprise run by NGOs that have revolutionized fundraising in the United Kingdom. These businesses sell secondhand items, usually donated, and allocate 100% of their sales to various charitable causes.
What are Charity Shops?
Charity shops are stores that offer a wide range of used goods at very affordable prices. These items can include clothing, shoes, children's toys, furniture, appliances, home decor, books, and accessories, among others. Each store is linked to a specific cause, allowing shoppers to know exactly what they are contributing to with their purchases.
For example:
- A store may be dedicated to funding cancer research.
- Another can provide support to older people to improve their quality of life.
- Some focus on heart disease research and prevention.
- Others fund veterinary care for those who cannot afford treatment for their pets.
The interesting thing about Charity Shops is that they not only raise awareness about the causes they support, allowing the community to actively participate in solving social problems, but they also contribute to repurposing products that might otherwise be discarded, helping to reduce waste and promote sustainability. They also solve the problem NGOs face when they receive products they don't need. Instead of storing or disposing of these donations, they sell them to raise funds that can be used for their real needs, and they do so by providing products at very affordable prices, helping people with fewer resources acquire what they need at a low cost.
Learning from the UK: Adaptation in Argentina
This model is very popular in the United Kingdom, and Argentina can learn a lot from it. Implementing this type of charity shops can be an effective strategy for local NGOs, which often face financial challenges. Furthermore, these businesses can foster a culture of recycling and sustainability, while generating a positive social and environmental impact.
These are some of the examples promoted by EKHOS as an organization specializing in the development of Impact Ecosystems, which enable the creation of Social and Impact Enterprises. Between Latin America, the United Kingdom, and also India, there is much to share and replicate to boost businesses with a positive impact.
To strengthen this connection, EKHOS is organizing GIBEF (Global Impact Business Ecosystem Forum), a global forum for impact ecosystems and businesses, which promotes collaboration among different stakeholders in the impact ecosystem to create an enabling environment for impact entrepreneurship. The forum will take place in February 2025 in New Delhi, India.
To learn more about the forum, visit https://gibef.com/
If you need advice on connecting with the Impact Ecosystem or boosting your impact business, please write to jessica@ekhos.org
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