How to Use Lulu to Support Your Nonprofit
You can feel good publishing with Lulu because we’re not Amazon a Certified B Corp, our platform is free to use, we have amazing customer support, we’re active in our community, we’re the proud publishers of Emoji Dick, and we even compost in our office.
But enough about us. What if you decide you want to make other people feel good by publishing with Lulu? First, thank you; you’re a gem, and second, we can help. Supporting your community or causes close to your heart is easy with Lulu.
Giving Made Easy with Lulu
When you publish with Lulu, you’ll get to a “Pricing and Payees” step in the process. If you are so inclined, you can add your favorite charity, organization, or nonprofit as a payee. The process is simple, you just need basic contact info for the recipient and to delegate what percentage of your revenue they will receive.
That’s it. The organization you entered can be paid quarterly via check, or monthly via PayPal. You don’t have to manage anything but the gratitude you will receive for being such an amazing human.
Why Use Lulu for Your Nonprofit?
Donating to a worthy cause makes people feel good (and yes, we all know your bank account is a worthy cause, but stick with me), but donating to a worthy cause and getting something cool in return makes them feel even better. If you can provide an opportunity for people to shop and give back at the same time, it’s a win-win. And you don’t have to write a trilogy or create a complicated project to make this work. Some of the most successful fundraising projects we’ve seen are calendars. All you need is 14 photos and an afternoon, and you’re in business.
That doesn’t mean calendars are the only project perfect for fundraising. Anything you create can be an opportunity to support causes important to you. A few other favorites are community cookbooks, anthologies, photo books, or even comic books and magazines. If you’ve already published a book on Lulu, you can simply update the payee information and let people know that for a limited time, a portion of the proceeds will be going to charity.
Using your project to fundraise is also a great way to get more exposure for your work. We know it’s not about that, but it’s a nice bonus. The organization you’re supporting would probably be more than happy to promote your project—or even have a few copies for sale or display—to get the word out. This can open you up to a whole new audience, and maybe even provide some earned promotional opportunities as well. News outlets love feel-good stories, especially around the holidays, so letting your local news know you’re raising money for the community might get you even more coverage for your work and the organization you’re raising money for.
All of this can become a great way of building community as well. If you decide to make it an annual event, you can build an audience year after year that loves to support your work and the organizations you’re donating to. You can even get them involved by asking fans and followers to submit content like photos, recipes, or short stories, or vote on things like annual themes or cover art.
Create Your Book
Use Lulu's free templates to easily create and publish your book today.
Last but not least, using your project to support nonprofits might just give you the edge over your competition. If a potential customer is looking at your project and comparing it to someone else’s that’s similar, seeing that they’ll be giving back with their purchase might just be their deciding factor. They might even feel so good they buy two!
And keep in mind, your fundraising doesn’t have to be forever. Do some research to see what events, celebrations, or observations would make the most sense to coincide with your efforts. Once you’ve hit your goal or your fundraising window has closed, you can update your payee info at any time in your Lulu account.
Publish, Print, Non-Profit
I could keep talking about this, but I will let you see this in action for yourself. Here are a few Lulu creators who are giving back.
Reuben the Bulldog
Back for their 7th year, Reuben and his human have teamed up to make an amazing calendar that not only looks good, but also does good! All profits from Reuben’s 2026 calendar will be going to Bullies 2 the Rescue, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in North Carolina that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes bulldogs in need.
The Palm Springs Bears Cookbook
Proof that good things can come from bad circumstances, The Palm Springs Bears Cookbook was created when a community potluck dinner was put on hold during the pandemic. The community members put the cookbook together as a way to raise spirits and funds when people needed it the most.
Who We Are
Who We Are is an oral history from the StreetWise community. StreetWise exists to elevate marginalized voices and provide opportunities for individuals to earn an income with dignity. Who We Are is a triple threat - not only is it raising money for the StreetWise organization, but it’s also raising awareness and giving its members a voice.
Get Started Giving Today
If there is a cause, organization, or community on your heart and mind this season, a print-on-demand product can be a fun and creative way to provide some extra support.
Here’s How to Get Started:
- Create a free account at lulu.com
- Plan your project and download templates with Lulu’s pricing calculator
- Collect, organize, and format content
- Create a new project in your Lulu account
- Add the organization or non-profit as a payee and designate how much revenue they will receive
- Publish and order a proof copy for review
- Once everything looks good, share the project with your friends, fans, and the organization you are raising money for!
Pro tip: Look for a holiday or event relevant to your content or the organization you want to support and schedule your launch around the same time. Giving Tuesday is always a good choice, but there are daily, weekly, and monthly observations and celebrations you can choose from.
Regardless of when or how you publish, there are always opportunities to give back. If you choose to support your favorite cause with Lulu, thank you for letting us be a small part in making a big difference!
