Network of Giving is beginning its rollout in Seattle, Washington, and Edmonton, Alberta, introducing a community-focused loyalty platform that connects local shopping with merchant-funded contributions to nonprofits. The model allows participating businesses to decide how much they contribute, while consumers direct those contributions to local causes without paying additional fees or giving up existing rewards.

Network of Giving is launching in Seattle and Edmonton, marking the first two communities in its planned rollout across the United States and Canada. The platform connects local merchants, consumers and nonprofit organizations through a loyalty-style network designed to turn everyday purchases into ongoing community contributions.

The model combines elements of customer loyalty, merchant-funded marketing and charitable giving. Participating businesses determine the contributions they want to make to local nonprofits, while consumers choose where those contributions go. According to the company’s announcement, membership is free for consumers, with no additional payments, roundups or top-ups required.

The platform is also designed to work alongside existing loyalty programs. Consumers retain their current points, cashback and other rewards rather than replacing them with a new system. For merchants, Network of Giving positions participation as a way to connect marketing expenditure with measurable results while supporting community organizations.

The company says 100% of contributions are passed through under an independently accountable framework. However, the announcement does not identify the independent oversight body, explain the framework’s verification process or provide details on how contributions are tracked and reported. Those disclosures will be important for businesses, nonprofits and consumers assessing the model’s transparency.

The Seattle and Edmonton launches will expand in stages as more businesses, consumers and community organizations join. Network effects are central to this approach: more participating merchants can create more opportunities for consumer engagement, while a larger consumer base may make participation more attractive to additional businesses and nonprofits.

The concept also reflects a broader opportunity at the intersection of loyalty marketing and corporate community investment. Retailers and local service providers often compete on customer relationships, convenience and value. A program that links purchases with locally directed contributions could give participating businesses another way to differentiate themselves, provided customers can understand the benefit and trust how funds are handled.

Yet the platform’s effectiveness will depend on execution. Merchants will need clear reporting on participation and marketing outcomes, nonprofits will need visibility into the contributions they receive, and consumers will need a straightforward way to select causes and understand the rules. The company has not yet disclosed adoption figures, participating merchant names, contribution volumes or measured business results from the initial markets.

For now, the launch establishes Network of Giving’s intended model rather than demonstrating its impact at scale. Its progress in Seattle and Edmonton should help show whether a shared loyalty network can generate sustained local participation while giving merchants a measurable reason to fund community support.

Market Landscape

Network of Giving enters a market where loyalty programs are increasingly being used to build relationships beyond discounts and points. Its distinguishing feature is the combination of merchant-funded contributions, consumer choice and local nonprofit support within a shared network.

Research published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services in 2025 found that loyalty programs combining customer rewards with charitable benefits can strengthen perceptions of corporate social responsibility, particularly when customers can choose the charity receiving support. This provides relevant context for Network of Giving’s consumer-directed model.

The commercial opportunity is to give local businesses another way to differentiate themselves while linking marketing activity with community support. But the model must demonstrate that its contribution reporting is credible and that participation delivers meaningful value for merchants, nonprofits and consumers.

Strategic Outlook

The Seattle and Edmonton rollout will test whether a shared giving network can attract enough merchants and consumers to sustain recurring community contributions. The platform’s longer-term prospects will depend on participation, transparent reporting and evidence that businesses receive measurable marketing value.

For local businesses, the key questions are how contributions are calculated, what performance metrics are provided and whether participation leads to stronger customer engagement or repeat visits. Nonprofits will need clear information about eligibility, contribution allocation and payment timing.

Network of Giving says contributions are passed through in full and independently accountable. Its website also describes independent auditing and oversight through the Network of Giving Foundation.

Publishing details of that oversight, alongside market-level participation and contribution results, could help establish trust as the network expands.

Top Insights

• Network of Giving is rolling out in Seattle and Edmonton, connecting local merchants, consumers and nonprofits through a shared, community-focused loyalty platform.

• Businesses set their own contribution commitments, while consumers choose recipient nonprofits without paying extra or sacrificing existing loyalty rewards.

• The platform aims to connect marketing expenditure with measurable outcomes, although no initial performance figures or contribution totals have been disclosed.

• Research suggests charitable loyalty programs can strengthen corporate social responsibility perceptions when consumers have a choice over which charities benefit.

• Future growth will depend on merchant adoption, consumer participation, transparent contribution reporting and evidence of tangible community and business outcomes.

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