Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton

The mission of Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton (ASYMCA) is to enhance the lives of military members and their families in spirit, mind, and body through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life. For decades, they have been a lifeline for military families addressing critical needs such as food insecurity, early childhood education, and family readiness. However, traditional donation models placed a significant administrative burden on staff, limiting the organization’s ability to scale its impact and track outreach efforts effectively.

To meet the growing needs of military families, Camp Pendleton’s ASYMCA required a scalable, efficient solution to manage in-kind donations across multiple programs, including food pantries, diaper distribution, childcare, and more. The organization needed a way to streamline operations, reduce staff workload, and provide greater transparency for donors. Donors have shared that the program makes giving “super easy”. One went on to share that “donating through this program allows us to provide the help precisely where it is needed.”

Amazon Business Donation Driver offered a transformative approach, enabling nonprofits to create curated product catalogs and accept donations directly through Amazon. By transitioning from static wish lists to dynamic campaigns, the service provided donors with transparency and ensured recipients received items that were immediately useful.

ASYMCA’s Camp Pendleton branch became an early adopter of Donation Driver, leveraging the service to power key initiatives such as food pantry restocks, diaper distribution, and classroom resources. The results were nothing short of remarkable.

Key Outcomes

Unprecedented Growth in Donations

• Processed nearly $30,000 in donations through the service in the last year, making the Camp Pendleton branch one of the top three most successful Donation Driver customers by total dollar value.

National Recognition and Best Practices

• Achieved the #1 nationwide ranking for Donation Driver donations impact, proving to be a highly effective donor giving model for other ASYMCA brances.
• Developed social media assets, newsletter and one-pager templates to showcase campaigns, providing replicable best practices across the ASYMCA network.

Enhanced Donor Engagemen

• Donation Driver’s integration with Camp Pendleton’s website allowed for a customized interface that reflected the organization’s branding, making it easy for donors to repeatedly contribute.
• With 80% of donations coming from 20% of donors, the service simplified the process for recurring donations, fostering stronger donor relationships.

Looking Ahead

ASYMCA Camp Pendleton envisions Donation Driver as a long-term engine for meeting the growing needs of military families. By aligning campaigns with grant cycles and leveraging Amazon Business’s Socially Responsible Purchasing program, the organization aims to achieve continued growth, stronger donor engagement, and more consistent funding for vital programs.

“Donation Driver has become an integral part of our mission – filling the shelves of our pantry and providing essential supplies for programs that have become a lifeline for military families. With Amazon Business, we are building a model that other ASYMCAs can adopt to expand donor engagement, diversify giving, and serve more families,” said LaRonda Schenck Scott, Senior Director of Development at Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton.

A Tremendous Opportunity for Giving Back

Camp Pendleton’s success demonstrates the potential of Amazon Business Donation Driver to transform nonprofit operations. This solution not only empowers organizations to scale their impact but also provides a meaningful way for Amazon Business customers to give back.