Features

AmazonSmile Offers Holiday Shoppers Free Way to Support Local Charities

Portland, OR. If you access Amazon through the Amazon Smile portal, your shopping experience will be the same but you’ll also be donating 0.5% to the charity of your choice at no extra cost to you. As of August 2021, the program has donated over $285 million to U.S. nonprofits including many in Oregon and SW Washington.
Amazon Smile donations could add up this holiday season, because retail sales are likely to increase between 7% and 9% in 2021, according to Deloitte. The financial advisory firm also forecasts that e-commerce sales will grow by 11-15%, year-over-year, during the 2021-2022 holiday season. This will likely result in e-commerce holiday sales reaching between $210 billion and $218 billion this season.

AmazonSmile shoppers have supported the Oregon Food Bank (seen above before the pandemic) with donations totaling over $1,752.15, at no cost to shoppers.

The obvious downside of AmazonSmile is that 0.5% of your purchase most likely won’t amount to a substantial donation. In order to contribute just $25 to your favorite charity, for instance, you’d have to spend $5,000 on Amazon. So if you’re looking to make a big impact, using Smile probably isn’t your best bet

 

From AmazonSmile:

AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop with AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. You can choose from over one million organizations to support.

What is the AmazonSmile Charity Lists program?

AmazonSmile Charity Lists is a meaningful and easy way for you to shop and donate items directly to charities in need. Simply find the charities you’d like to support, add items from their lists to your cart, and check out – it’s that easy. To learn more, visit smile.amazon.com/charitylists or tap Charity Lists on the “Programs & Features” menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile phone.

How do I shop with AmazonSmile?

To use AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone within the Settings or Programs & Features menu. On your web browser, you can add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping with AmazonSmile.

How do I activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app?

AmazonSmile is available for Amazon customers with the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on their mobile phone, including Android devices with version 7.0+ or iOS devices with version 12+. To activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app, simply tap on “AmazonSmile” within the Programs & Features menu or Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.

Do I need to renew AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile renewals happen twice a year to help keep AmazonSmile on mobile app. AmazonSmile will notify you of these renewals via push notifications and through in-app notifications. If you miss a renewal you can reactivate at any time by repeating the steps to “turn on” AmazonSmile on your mobile device. There is no renewal period for browser shopping on AmazonSmile, which you can use anytime by typing ‘smile.amazon.com’ into your browser.

Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?

Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.

Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?

Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.

How do I select a charitable organization to support with AmazonSmile?

On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization to receive donations from your future eligible AmazonSmile purchases. We will remember your selected charity whenever you shop at smile.amazon.com or with AmazonSmile activated in the Amazon Shopping app, and then every eligible purchase you make through AmazonSmile will result in a donation for your selected charity. AmazonSmile will occasionally contact you about donation amounts disbursed to your chosen charity or about the program.

Can I change my charity?

Yes, you can change your charity at any time. Simply visit smile.amazon.com/change, or tap “AmazonSmile” within the Settings menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your phone and select “Change your charity”. Your AmazonSmile purchases made after changing your charity will count towards your newly selected charity.

What charities can I choose from?

You can choose from over one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations.

What if my selected charity does not register to participate in the AmazonSmile program or becomes ineligible?

If your selected charity does not register to participate, becomes ineligible, or requests to be removed from the program, you will have a chance to select a different charity to receive the accrued donations that have not yet been disbursed to your charity. If you do not select a different charity, the accrued donations will be distributed to other organizations receiving donations.

If I represent a charitable organization, how can I learn more about registering my organization for AmazonSmile?

Go to org.amazon.com to learn how to register your organization to receive donations.

How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.

What is the AmazonSmile Foundation?

The AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile program are remitted by a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. to the AmazonSmile Foundation. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organizations selected by our customers. Amazon pays all expenses of the AmazonSmile Foundation; they are not deducted from the donation amounts generated by purchases on AmazonSmile.

Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?

Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.

How can I learn more about AmazonSmile?

Please see complete AmazonSmile program details.

May customers make direct donations to charitable organizations through the AmazonSmile program?

Customers can make direct donations and arrange for donated products to be delivered to charitable organizations through the AmazonSmile Charity Lists program on their browser or on their mobile device in the Amazon shopping app. That program is the only AmazonSmile program that enables customers to make donations to charities at this time. Customers who support their selected charitable organization is by shopping AmazonSmile do not make direct donations.

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Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.

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