Bookkind launches: the uk’s first online bookshop empowering readers to support charities with every purchase
BookKind has launched, the UK’s first online bookshop that empowers readers to support the causes they care about by buying new books. BookKind customers choose a charity representing one of eight causes to receive 10% of the purchase value, meaning that readers can make a difference with every book they buy.
BookKind is built on a simple but powerful idea: shopping can be a force for good. Just as Bookshop.org supports the independent bookshop sector, it contributes to charities that support some of the most vulnerable people in society and offers highly curated reading lists around today’s biggest social, health, and environmental issues.
It functions in the same way as a general bookseller – but with purpose, where customers have access to a catalogue of over 200,000 titles (including all major trade releases and general bestsellers) and 10% of the value of the purchase will be donated to one of the eight charity partners.
Partner charities include Read for Good, Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Warchild UK, Runnymede Trust, Dementia UK, Maggie’s, Surfers Against Sewage, and the Mental Health Foundation — each with its own dedicated shopfront on the BookKind website. These pages feature booklists curated by the BookKind team, including new releases and themed collections that reflect each charity’s mission. Please note that some charities do not specifically endorse individual books or products.
“As a charity connected by our love for the water, we’re stoked to be working together with BookKind to empower supporters to protect the ocean through the power of reading.”— Tabitha McCormick, Surfers Against Sewage
Throughout the year, a rotating Featured Charity slot will shine a light on the work of a particular charity. During this time, the charity will receive the lion’s share of donations. Affiliate links help drive support directly from the charity’s own newsletters and websites. BookKind will also performs regular Acts of BookKindness, donating books to schools, hospitals, and literacy programs across the UK.
It also provides a new sales platform for publishers and authors who are writing about important social, environmental and health issues to reach an audience of socially conscious shoppers who want to feel good about where their money is going.
BookKind, whose mission is to empower people to ‘read generously,’ was developed by ecommerce company Monwell, which runs bookshops for The Guardian, The Times, Daily Mail and the newly launched, Observer bookshop. BookKind is an opportunity for the Monwell team to give back to causes that they care about with each of the eight initial beneficiaries chosen by a Monwell team member as being personally significant to them.
Sara Montgomery, co-founder and CEO of Monwell, said: “Having successfully launched bookshops for big media brands like The Guardian and The Times, we wanted to do something on our own – and to give back. Our vision is to grow BookKind into one of the UK’s leading book retailers while making a meaningful impact by supporting charities that help the most vulnerable people in society and address critical global challenges.”
You can visit the site here: bookkind.co.uk.
