Walmart launches $1 million school fundraising initiative

Walmart is teaming up with customers to aid schools.

Through Monday, Sept. 4, Walmart plans to donate $1 million to schools through the Spark Good online giving program it operates as part of the Walmart Foundation non-profit initiative.

Schools are now eligible to create a nonprofit account and obtain tax-deductible donations through Walmart’s Spark Good Registry and Round Up initiatives. Operating like a wedding or a baby registry, the Spark Good Registry allows verified nonprofits to create lists of needed products, including gift cards, and to share those lists with their donors.

To participate in Round Up, customers shopping on Walmart.com or in the Walmart app can round up their totals at the point of purchase to the nearest dollar and have the change donated to a charity they choose. As an added incentive for schools to enroll in Spark Good, the first 3,000 schools to create a Spark Good Nonprofit Portal account and enroll in Round Up will receive a $250 grant made possible by Walmart.

In addition, all Spark Good Round Up donations will be matched two-to-one when customers select their school of choice and Round Up to donate their change when checking out digitally.

In other moves, the company has debuted a new Classroom Registry experience on Walmart.com and its app to assist educators in reducing their expenses for classroom supplies. The tool features an all-new look and feel that makes it simple and easy for educators to plan, shop and share their classroom wish lists, Walmart said.

And Walmart is again offering school supply lists curated by school districts and/or individual teachers to ensure their students have all the items needed for their individual classrooms for the upcoming school year. Users type in zip code, select school, grade and teacher, and add it all to your cart with a single tap.

“We’re making it easy for schools to get started through the Spark Good Nonprofit Portal,” Julie Gehrki, VP, philanthropy, Walmart and VP, COO, Walmart Foundation, said in a corporate blog post. “Imagine it as a one-stop shop for eligible organizations to manage their charitable activities with Walmart, including applying for community grants, setting up customer-facing registries for needed items, enrolling in Round Up and more. For customers, giving back to your school or nonprofit organization of choice can become part of your online shopping routine.”

All public and private schools with a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) designation are eligible to enroll in Spark Good Round Up and set up a Spark Good Registry online at walmart.com/nonprofits.