Thanksgiving is coming quickly, which also means Black Friday is coming, which leads to Cyber Monday. Yes, Christmas is right around the corner and shopping is in high gear! What does this mean for nonprofits? It means the biggest giving season is underway. It means the time of year that could make or break the annual donation goals. It could mean some easy “mailbox money” for your organization. How? AmazonSmile.
What is Amazon Smile?
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite nonprofit organizations every time you shop on Amazon.
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible 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.
Why use it?
Amazon is the largest online retailer by a long shot, and through the AmazonSmile Foundation, nonprofits can receive 0.5% of eligible purchases. That might not seem like a lot of money, but for nonprofits every little bit helps a good cause. Amazon has like a gazillion shoppers, so why not tap into it? Once it’s set up, you get quarterly payments without any additional work. Even if you get $25 a month, wouldn’t that be worth signing up?
How do I register my nonprofit?
It’s easy. Follow these steps:
Learn.
Get familiar with AmazonSmile and learn about how it works. It’s always a good idea to read the details.
Register.
Register now for AmazonSmile. It’s a simple process.
Verify.
Don’t forget to verify your account. This is the final step, and necessary to start receiving payments.
Promoting Amazon Smile
Of those gazillion shoppers, a bazillion of them do not know about AmazonSmile, or they don’t know your nonprofit is participating in it. The question I hear most often about this program is, “If this isn’t going to get me a lot of money, why spend my time doing it?” My answer is this. If every little bit counts, then do it. This is an evergreen thing. Set it up once and go!
Where should you promote your affiliation with AmazonSmile?
Website
Add to your home, donation and giving pages.
Include in your email newsletters and updates.
Social Media
Create posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other social platforms you’re on.
Important note: Amazon is very specific in its policy that you may not market AmazonSmile in any offline manner.
If you’re an Amazon shopper… (and who isn’t?)
It’s legit.
It’s the same Amazon experience with an added benefit.
It’s easy.
By just typing in “smile” before the Amazon link, you can help your favorite charity.
Support someone.
If your favorite charity is not on the list, contact them and tell them about it. Until they’re on there, pick another nonprofit.
Another benefit to promoting AmazonSmile for your nonprofit is that it makes the general public aware of this program if they’ve not heard of it. Imagine if everyone shopping on Amazon used Smile? All nonprofits win!
If you have additional marketing ideas or success stories with AmazonSmile, please share in the comment section below.
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