| Quick answer: A universal giving list lets your nonprofit add needed items from virtually any online store into one list. Install the free browser button, then click it on any product page to add that item, with its photo, price, and link, to your list. This means specialty suppliers, small brands, and big-box retailers all sit on one page for donors. A free MyRegistry giving list makes this a one-click action anywhere you shop. |
Your organization’s real needs rarely come from a single retailer. The right hygiene kits are from one supplier, the specialty equipment from another, the bulk pantry goods from a third. A single-store list forces you to ask for whatever that store happens to carry. A universal giving list removes that ceiling entirely. Here’s how to add items from anywhere.
Everything here runs on a free MyRegistry giving list — the universal button is what makes it genuinely any-store.
Why ‘Any Store’ Matters for Nonprofits
Program needs are specific. A shelter needs a particular kind of mattress protector; a garden needs seeds from a regional supplier; a literacy program needs books at exact reading levels. Ask for these from a single big-box catalog and you’ll compromise on all three. The ability to add from anywhere is what lets your list reflect what you actually need rather than what one retailer sells.
A single-store list asks for what that store sells — not what your programs need.
How to Do It, Step by Step
1. Create Your Free Giving List
Sign up as a nonprofit and name the list for your organization or campaign.
2. Install the Universal Button
Add it to your browser once. This is the tool that makes the list any-store.
3. Browse Any Supplier
Big-box retailers, specialty suppliers, small brands, wherever your programs actually source from.
4. Click to Add
The item lands on your list with its photo, current price, and a link donors can buy from.
5. Set Quantity and Description
How many you need, and a one-line impact statement instead of the default product name.
| Add from any supplier in one click — get the button on MyRegistry for Nonprofits . |
What You Can Add
| Source | Can you add it? |
|---|---|
| Major retailers | Yes |
| Specialty & trade suppliers | Yes |
| Small or local brands | Yes |
| Stores with no registry of their own | Yes |
| Cash needs (rent, transport) | Yes — as a cash fund |
The last two matter most. A supplier that has never heard of a donation registry still works, and the needs that aren’t products at all live on the same list as a cash fund.
Universal vs. Single-Store, for a Nonprofit
| 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 shelter kept its needs on a single big-box list because that store had a registry. It meant asking for generic bedding instead of the specific waterproof protectors they actually needed, and their preferred hygiene supplier, a small company with no registry, was simply impossible to include. They switched to a universal giving list: the protectors from the trade supplier, hygiene kits from the small brand, bulk goods from the big-box store, all on one link. For the first time, the list asked for exactly what the shelter used.
| ✔ Pros — Adding From Any Store (on MyRegistry) | ✘ Cons — Adding From Any Store (on MyRegistry) |
|---|---|
| • One click from any online supplier | • Requires a one-time button install |
| • Include specialty and small brands | • You manage receiving across suppliers |
| • Works even where the store has no registry | |
| • Cash fund for non-product needs | |
| • Everything on one donor link |
| ★ Expert recommendation: Install the universal button once, then build your list from the suppliers your programs actually use — not just the ones that happen to offer registries. Pair it with a cash fund for the needs no product covers, and your list finally matches your operation. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we really add items from any store?
Virtually any online store with a product page, including specialty suppliers and small brands that don’t offer registries of their own.
Does the supplier need to support registries?
No, that’s the point of a universal list. The button works regardless of whether the store has its own registry program.
What about needs that aren’t products?
Add a cash fund to the same list for rent, transport, bulk buys, and emergencies.
The Bottom Line
Your list should reflect your programs, not one retailer’s catalog, the universal button is what makes that possible. Get it free at MyRegistry for Nonprofits.
