| Quick answer: If your nonprofit has lists at several stores, you can import them into one universal giving list, items transfer with their photos, prices, and links intact, so nothing is re-entered by hand. Donors then get a single branded link instead of a confusing set, purchases track across every supplier to prevent duplicates, and you can finally add suppliers that offer no list of their own. A free MyRegistry giving list imports and combines existing lists. |
It happens gradually. A list at one store for supplies, another somewhere else for equipment, and a third that someone set up two years ago. Now donors get three links, nothing is tracked together, and half your needs still don’t fit anywhere. Combining them takes less effort than you think. Here’s how, and why it’s worth an afternoon.
A MyRegistry giving list can import your existing lists, so you consolidate rather than rebuild.
The Cost of Scattered Lists
Three problems compound quietly. Donors receive several links and, faced with a choice, some give up entirely. Nothing tracks across stores, so two donors buy the same item from different lists and you receive duplicates you can’t use. And the supplier you actually need, the one with no list program, still has nowhere to live, so those needs stay unasked.
Three links isn’t three chances to give, it’s three chances to give up.
How Importing Works
1. Create One Universal Giving List
Your master list, branded as your organization.
2. Import Your Existing Lists
Items transfer with photos, prices, and links — no manual re-entry.
3. Add the Suppliers You Couldn’t Before
Specialty and small suppliers with no list of their own.
4. Add a Cash Fund
For the needs no product covers — rent, transport, bulk buys.
5. Share One Branded Link
Donors buy from each original store; everything tracks in one place.
| Consolidate rather than rebuild — import into MyRegistry for Nonprofits . |
What Importing Does and Doesn’t Do
Importing mirrors your existing lists into one place, it doesn’t delete the originals. Your store lists stay intact if you want them; the universal list simply gathers everything together with cross-supplier tracking on top. You keep what you built and lose nothing.
| One combined list | Several store lists | |
|---|---|---|
| Links donors receive | One | Several |
| Cross-supplier tracking | Yes | No |
| Add non-list suppliers | Yes | No |
| Cash fund | Yes | Rarely |
| Your branding | Yes | Minimal |
Tidy It Once It’s Combined
Consolidating is a good moment to clean house. Remove items you no longer need, set quantities on everything, rewrite default product names into impact statements, and group items into tiers so every donor finds an entry point. An afternoon of this turns a merged pile into a list that actually raises.
| Feature | MyRegistry Giving List | Single-store list |
|---|---|---|
| Add items from any store | Yes | No — one retailer |
| Cash gift funds | Yes | Rarely |
| Your logo & branding | Yes | Minimal |
| Embed on your website | Yes | Limited |
| Real-time tracking | Yes | Within that store |
| Cost | Free | Free |
A Real-World Scenario
A nonprofit had three lists across two retailers and an old one nobody maintained. Donors got a paragraph of links and frequently just gave up. They imported all three into one universal giving list, added the trade supplier they’d never been able to include, added a fuel cash fund, and branded the page. Then they spent an afternoon setting quantities and rewriting descriptions. Donors got one link, duplicates stopped, and the needs that had never fit anywhere were finally on the list.
| ✔ Pros — Combining Into One Giving List | ✘ Cons — Combining Into One Giving List |
|---|---|
| • One branded link for donors | • Worth an afternoon of tidying afterwards |
| • Items import — no re-entry | • You manage receiving across suppliers |
| • Cross-supplier duplicate tracking | |
| • Finally include non-list suppliers | |
| • Originals stay intact |
| ★ Expert recommendation: Import rather than rebuild, your items transfer intact in minutes. Then spend an afternoon tidying: set quantities, rewrite descriptions as impact statements, and group into tiers. Consolidation plus a clean-up turns scattered lists into one list that raises. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will importing delete our existing lists?
No — the originals stay intact. The universal list mirrors them in one place with cross-supplier tracking on top.
Do we have to re-enter every item?
No — items import with their photos, prices, and links, so consolidation takes minutes rather than hours.
Why does one link matter so much?
Donors faced with several links often give up entirely. One branded link removes that friction and tracks everything together.
The Bottom Line
Scattered lists cost you donors and create duplicates, import them into one branded link instead. Combine yours free at MyRegistry for Nonprofits.
