Tagging for fundraising/charity

[KATERCREATER]

Any suggestions for TAGS or SEO Keyword/Terms I should be using to promote the listings I'm using to raise money for charity? I thought this would be an obvious topic (apologies if it's already posted somewhere), but when I search the words "Charity" or "Fundraising" nothing relevant comes up. Currently I am tagging the actual charity, as well as the term "shop for a cause." If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions I'd appreciate it!

[GieseDeseiGns]

Have you read Etsy's terms of use about charities.

[KATERCREATER]

yes I skimmed it and then just went back and reread to confirm

[ThePurplePuppy]

Etsy has some pretty strict rules about  "raising money for charity" . Have you read and complied with all of those?  I don't say anything at all about charitible causes  in my  shop or listings , however, I do quietly donate returned items to dog rescues as I would not feel comfortable reselling them and the rescues are happy to get them.

[KATERCREATER]

the rules all seem pretty basic and obvious IMO

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, Etsy's rules state that you can not imply or suggest that purchase of a product will result in a contribution to a charity. You also can not represent that you are an official representative of a charity. I may want to aid the local pet shelter or food pantry, but it is best to just mention your personal causes in your About page and leave out any connections in a listing.

You don't want Etsy to close your shop, do you?

[KATERCREATER]

That is incorrect. https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/donating-shop-proceeds-to-charity/239327254340

Thanks!

[KATERCREATER]

Umm, IDK what rules y'all are so scared of? They are just basic common sense. https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/donating-shop-proceeds-to-charity/239327254340 Obviously I am not doing any of these seven things. 

[audreytherese]

Personally I believe the main one is this one: 

• You must receive the appropriate consent from the charitable organization to use their name and trademark. 

It's best if you can get that in writing to have on file if it's ever brought up as a potential issue.

[KATERCREATER]

Okay, trying to get this thread back on track, does anyone remember what Tag's Etsy wanted us to use when fundraising? I remember receiving an email about it some time late last year... 

[BootifulLabels]

I have never seen any specific announcements or Help files about tagging Charity items.  Etsy has always been quite strict about shops using charitable causes to attract buyers, it is after all the site's reputation on the line, not just the individual shops, and Etsy cannot verify donations, so they don't really want to make it easy.  As I understand it, whatever cause you plan to donate to, you need to get written permission from them to use the Charity's name, and I seem to recall there was a restriction on where you can publicise the fact that you are donating ( not in the actual listings, but in the About section I think?).  

I recall a thread a few years back about motives behind charity donations.  In short, the feeling given was that if you are donating because you genuinely want to do good for the charity, that is commendable, but there is no need to involve your buyers in the process at all.  

[JDTotesnDolls]

@KATERCREATER   Etsy does not specify how to use tags except to describe an item.

If you have permission from the organization which you say you have read then you can place the name in a tag.

You've got to have that permission though and make sure to follow all the rules internationally.  Etsy does not police that.  The seller has to be aware of all rules and regulations concerning international policies.

Before pursuing this line you might want to complete your shop if selling to the EU/UK,  GDPR is needed along with Right of withdrawal and whether or not you are considered a trader by the EU.  

[GroundZeroCreations]

I am not sure that people are shopping by keyword/tags indicating part of the proceeds are being donated to a charity. And I did a quick search and did not find anything that might help you. Have you tried looking for shops that are currently doing that and see what keywords they are using? 

Nerdwallet had a good reminder about charitable donations:
"Your charitable giving will qualify for a tax deduction only if it goes to a tax-exempt organization, as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code."

I know I claim any donations I make on my tax return. If you don't plan on claiming them, it won't matter if they are tax-exempt.

[SamazamaGB]

I don't think there is anything specific for Etsy. Folksy has a scheme where you can add "Charity Donation" as a tag, a feature I like on there. I haven't checked where you are, Folksy is UK only.  As has been said, Etsy doesn't seem to encourage charity donation and many seem rather anti the whole concept . I agree with you that the rules are just common sense and not anti at all.  I don't see what the problem is! It is not a case of trying to coerce people into buying, more just a statement of fact - this is where your money will be going. People will buy if they like the product, and not if they don't. 

[bradgoodell]

Honestly, why would you bother?  Do buyers actually search for "Charity" or "fundraising"?  Unlikely. Have you considered maybe whatever charity they agree or support is different from yours, which might actually turn-off buyers?  Using "charity" as marketing can leave a bad taste, it's like "It's for the children!"  but you don't quite believe it.

Bottom line:  If you want to support a charity, the best way to tag would be to optimize your SEO to optimize your sales.  More sales, more money for charity.  

You've had 15 sales.  If you want to reach 150 sales, or 1500 sales, or 15,000 sales, aim at SEO.  Want to talk about charity?  Do it in your about page.  Right now, you are concerning yourself with the wrong thing.

Good luck.

[KATERCREATER]

Yes, my buyer do

[bradgoodell]

You've had 15 buyers in the last year.  That it too small of a representation to make projections as to what buyers want.  

Once again, it would make more sense to improve your SEO and reach the millions of Etsy shoppers who don't give a rat's azz about charity.  15 sales a month would go much further in advancing your charitable contributions.

I'm sorry you didn't get the advice you wanted.  

Good luck with your endeavors.

[KATERCREATER]

Because I happen to know that people who want to contribute to and express support for this cause are looking for ample opportunities to do so right now. Thanks for the advice on my shop that I did not ask for ;D I am well aware of how SEO works and very happy with my shop's projection and growth in the short time I've been open. My pieces are totally unique and not inexpensive, so I am incredibly proud of each and every one of those sales!

If anyone with similarly aligned values and ideals has another hashtag or SEO suggestion as per my original topic, I would very much appreciate it! As it stands now, I'm just going to assume I that am currently using best practices, since no one seems to have any better advice. 

[Arcalliq]

not really SEO advice as I don't have any but really well meant advice: if you decide to use your shop to fundraise, you need to follow fundraising law in every single country you sell to. Coming from somebody with almost 20 years of experience in non-profit sector - this is a major legal minefield and I would strongly suggest you turn shipping to UK off. 

[KATERCREATER]

Even if I am not planing this as a tax write off?

[Arcalliq]

it has nothing to do with you and your tax but a lot with the buyer and buyer tax. And that's the easiest part. There are often legal obligations to report to buyers on how exactly was their donation spent - report from the charity itself, not from you. the list of  obligations is often endless and different for different countries. Trust me, you want to leave this well alone and just give to whatever charity you want without involving your buyers in it.

There are reasons why Etsy does not get involved in fundrasing.

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, as I stated elsewhere, the problem arises when your buyer writes to you asking for a receipt so they can claim a tax deduction for charity on their own return. Neither you nor Etsy can provide that receipt. In some countries, you will need to follow the laws of those countries regarding charity deductions. 

[JDTotesnDolls]

@KATERCREATER   You cannot sponsor a charity without following Etsy's rules about this.  You must have permission from the organization.

The buyer would have no way of using their donation for taxes as Etsy does not supply the kind of form needed for such by most tax authorities.

Donating Shop Proceeds to Charity - Our House Rules | Etsy

As to what others have said, I have seen shops that do organize their shop for donations and yes they have permission from the organization.  Does it help overall?  Possibly if there are enough buyers to support. And it may be offputting to some buyers. Personally I kind of steer clear of such shops since I am a bit reticent that, while they may have permission to use the name, how much of the proceeds actually go to the charity in question.  

If you have permission from the organization to use their name then you can use it as a tag.  

[KATERCREATER]

Yup, as already stated I am well aware of these super easy to follow and very clear rules, thank you!

[KATERCREATER]

To further clarify, my goal is not tax write offs here. It's to actually raise money for a cause I truly believe in and feel the need to contribute to.