Is AmazonSmile Worth It For Your Charity?
Most people want to donate to charities, however, it’s not always at the forefront of their mind when they are leading busy lives. With 51% of people only giving from time-to-time, it’s up to charities to make it more accessible to donate. AmazonSmile makes it a little bit easier to receive donations for your charity.
AmazonSmile was set up in 2013 and expanded to the UK in November 2017, with the aim of making the donation process that little bit easier and more accessible.
Should I register my organisation?
AmazonSmile is the same as the main Amazon site we all know and love (probably more than we should!) The only difference here is that a percentage of the order total on an eligible purchase, however big or small, goes to the customer’s chosen charity!
The site has the exact same products as your regular Amazon, it’s just a percentage of Amazon’s profits made that go to your chosen charity.
Not for profit organisations can sign up for free and it is left totally up to the customer’s discretion who they donate to.
The site supports a wide range of causes from STEM education to homelessness, hunger, disaster relief, pets and animals, youth, health, veterans, and more.
It’s really quick and easy to sign up to be a member of AmazonSmile, and of course the stronger your brand awareness and marketing efforts, the more people will choose to donate to you!
It’s a simple way to receive small yet regular donations to your charity from anywhere in the world, from one of the largest global online retailers.
What’s even better is it’s free to be a member of and you’ll receive 100% of any donations meaning you can receive additional donations without increased costs.
How much do charities receive?
Charities will receive 0.5% of an eligible purchase made by a customer on the website, with no tricks or fees involved!
Okay, yes, it’s not a mountain of money and when you put it into perspective that Amazon is the ‘world’s most valuable public company’ and in 2019, claimed the title of the world’s biggest company, it’s a small effort at donating. But when you’re getting donations for nothing more than some extra awareness marketing, we believe you should never say no!
The pennies really can add up!
In the UK alone, since November 2017 Amazon has donated over £3.6 million pounds (as of June 2020) to charities across the country which is just incredible!
The money you’ll receive isn’t likely to be life-changing for your charity and we certainly wouldn’t recommend basing your fundraising model purely around this platform but now that online, convenience shopping is becoming more popular we certainly believe you should consider it as part of your strategy.
There are hundreds of amazing causes also receiving donations from Amazon’s customers.
It comes down to the size of your charity, your marketing skills and building the awareness of your cause, but it is a perfect way to gain more donations and make your charity a choice on the list!
