Benevolist.org Launches the First-of-its-Kind Online Tool Dedicated to Streamlining Charitable Item Donation Drives

    RALEIGH, NC, January 19, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Benevolist's free online tool lets non-profits and their partners quickly and easily create a list of needed items for their item donation drives by building wish lists (Benevolists) of needed items and quantities. Functioning similarly to a gift registry, donation drive organizers create wish lists that can be shared with their network of supporters using the email functionality within the tool. People who receive the invitation link from the organizer click on products in the list to purchase the requested items, which then ship directly to the location specified by the drive organizer.

"My hope is that Benevolist.org fills a much-needed gap in the non-profit world and makes the process of organizing and donating much easier for everyone involved," said Cari Newton, Founder & CEO of Benevolist.org.

For Organizers, Benevolist:

-Offers a turnkey solution for donation drive item collection
-Provides a personalized organizer dashboard to track the progress of drives 24/7
-Allows for emailing wish lists to donors directly from the website
-Eliminates the need for coordination of collection logistics with donors, as items are delivered directly
-Accommodates the adjustment of items and quantities throughout the collection drive duration
-Provides a downloadable list of donors to thank them and send a donation receipt

For Donors, Benevolist:

-Provides convenient access to customized donation lists accessible from any device
-Removes the need to shop in-person or schedule drop-offs since items ship and deliver directly
-Streamlines the payment process because orders are processed directly on the merchant websites, not on Benevolist.org
-Offers the ability to donate to other Benevolists that support causes that they care about
-Provides a donation receipt directly from the charity
-Gives peace of mind knowing that items are going directly to people who need them

The Genesis of Benevolist.org
In 2017, Cari Newton, Founder & President of Benevolist.org, volunteered to help organize an item collection drive for a local charity. This particular collection drive required specific items and quantities to fulfill the goal and meet the deadline. She quickly saw how challenging it was to manage the receipt of the items and keep track of the inventory. She imagined that there must be a better way to do this, and the idea for Benevolist.org was born.

Cari began researching the donation drive space to get more insight into whether the solution she had in mind would be helpful. She spoke to non-profit and disaster relief organization directors, learning that uncoordinated donations of goods from well-intentioned people are not always beneficial and can actually create a huge problem. As an example for disaster relief donating, the arrival of unwanted or unneeded donations can create an operational nightmare, contributing to a phenomenon that relief workers refer to as "the disaster after the disaster," requiring them to triage and dispose of large quantities of unwanted items.

Bringing Cari Newton's vision to life required bootstrapping the entire initiative, personally funding the project without investors, and working on the project many nights and weekends while managing a full-time marketing career. She knew there was an unmet need to streamline the approach to collecting items for donation drives and giving donors an easier way to donate vital supplies to those in need. So when her project stalled and required a re-start, she didn't give up. Finally, her commitment and hard work have paid off, and www. benevolist.org has successfully launched this month. Home Depot and CVS are the first merchant partners who have signed on to the platform, and Benevolist is in discussion with other nationally known brands they hope to add in the coming months.

"I feel incredibly blessed and honored to have this opportunity to utilize my marketing background in a way that can benefit large numbers of people in need. As with any new venture, there have been several roadblocks and challenges along the way, but I was fortunate to have amazing people placed in my path who encouraged me to continue, even when I considered giving up. I could not have created Benevolist without each of them, and I'm so very grateful for their support. My hope is that Benevolist.org will become the go-to destination for anyone organizing a charitable item collection drive throughout the US. The fact that well-known brands are signing on to our platform clearly validates the need for this type of solution. We anticipate tremendous growth as people learn more about Benevolist.org and begin to embrace the platform to help streamline their community outreach programs," said Cari Newton, Founder & CEO of Benevolist.org

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