No More AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023

[DadSmith]

Dear customer,

In 2013, we launched AmazonSmile to make it easier for customers to support their favorite charities. However, after almost a decade, the program has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped. With so many eligible organizations—more than 1 million globally—our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.

We are writing to let you know that we plan to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023. We will continue to pursue and invest in other areas where we’ve seen we can make meaningful change—from building affordable housing to providing access to computer science education for students in underserved communities to using our logistics infrastructure and technology to assist broad communities impacted by natural disasters.

To help charities that have been a part of the AmazonSmile program with this transition, we will be providing them with a one-time donation equivalent to three months of what they earned in 2022 through the program, and they will also be able to accrue additional donations until the program officially closes in February. Once AmazonSmile closes, charities will still be able to seek support from Amazon customers by creating their own wish lists.

As a company, we will continue supporting a wide range of other programs that help thousands of charities and communities across the U.S.
‐-----------------------------

So basically charities that they don't approve of are getting the money so they are no longer allowing that.

 

[oze]

Dear customer,

In 2013, we launched AmazonSmile to make it easier for customers to support their favorite charities. However, after almost a decade, the program has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped. With so many eligible organizations—more than 1 million globally—our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.

We are writing to let you know that we plan to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023. We will continue to pursue and invest in other areas where we’ve seen we can make meaningful change—from building affordable housing to providing access to computer science education for students in underserved communities to using our logistics infrastructure and technology to assist broad communities impacted by natural disasters.

To help charities that have been a part of the AmazonSmile program with this transition, we will be providing them with a one-time donation equivalent to three months of what they earned in 2022 through the program, and they will also be able to accrue additional donations until the program officially closes in February. Once AmazonSmile closes, charities will still be able to seek support from Amazon customers by creating their own wish lists.

As a company, we will continue supporting a wide range of other programs that help thousands of charities and communities across the U.S.
‐-----------------------------

So basically charities that they don't approve of are getting the money so they are no longer allowing that.

Did you notice the list of approved charities? Every one helps exclusively "underserved communities"

 

[DadSmith]

Did you notice the list of approved charities? Every one helps exclusively "underserved communities"

I believe the money wasn't going to who they were waiting. So now it's time to stop it.
GOA and NRA got some pretty decent donations from that.

 

[Cameramonkey]

And you could do FAR more good just by writing a check. The percentage was ridiculously low. You could either just write a check for $20 to your charity of choice or spend $4,000 on Amazon to make the same impact.

Unless you were funneling high dollar/volume work purchases through smile, you werent doing THAT much good.

 

[DadSmith]

And you could do FAR more good just by writing a check. The percentage was ridiculously low. You could either just write a check for $20 to your charity of choice or spend $4,000 on Amazon to make the same impact.

Unless you were funneling high dollar/volume work purchases through smile, you werent doing THAT much good.

I used it just to get a few extra dollars towards defending the 2nd Amendment. Every dollar helps, and is better than nothing at all.

 

[Twangbanger]

That's the problem with "grassroots." Seems the "roots" can never get it right.

Astroturf, on the other hand, never fails.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I used it just to get a few extra dollars towards defending the 2nd Amendment. Every dollar helps, and is better than nothing at all.

Agreed. Every little bit counts. But this was indeed a little bit. Unfortunately too many relied ONLY on this to support their causes.

 

[DadSmith]

Agreed. Every little bit counts. But this was indeed a little bit. Unfortunately too many relied ONLY on this to support their causes.

You think so?
I think the few who did know about it used it to siphon funds from Amazon to pro 2A groups.
I doubt people used this as a only means of donating.
This isn't really them donating its Amazon doing the donating.

 

[Cameramonkey]

You think so?
I think the few who did know about it used it to siphon funds from Amazon to pro 2A groups.
I doubt people used this as a only means of donating.
This isn't really them donating its Amazon doing the donating.

Yes. Human nature/path of least resistance. I'd argue for the casual/stingy giver, you are wrong. Why give YOUR money when you can give somebody else's?

"I dont need to donate to x charity. I use Amazon smile!" (little do they realize they only helped their preferred charity by like $5 because they didnt read the fine print) I would argue the average low information citizen thinks their smile purchases do more than in reality.

EDIT: And I dont begrudge someone for using Smile. (I used it to bolster my ACTUAL donations) I just think lazy donors just think it does just as much as them writing a check for an actual donation.

 

[Expat]

For years I had my donations going to the NRA. Last year I changed it to the SAF. It show since that change the SAF received $65. I am sure SAF would have been happy if I just wrote them a check for $65.

 

[Frosty]

First time I’ve ever heard of this

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Smile probably wasn’t woke enough to prop up their ESG score. Too many causes that aren’t looked on favorably by the Davo-kind of people would be my guess. This way they can control their giving and won’t be embarrassed by the breakdown of listed charities they used to support.

 

[wtburnette]

Guess I need to figure out how to disable my Smile donations since I don't want even a penny to go to their Left wing orgs.

 

[DadSmith]

Guess I need to figure out how to disable my Smile donations since I don't want even a penny to go to their Left wing orgs.

Just don't use smile.

 

[wtburnette]

Just don't use smile.

Yeah, but since I do I likely need to figure out how to turn it off. Otherwise knowing Amazon it'll just default to the most progressive charity available. Were there instructions in the email?

 

[oze]

For years I had my donations going to the NRA. Last year I changed it to the SAF. It show since that change the SAF received $65. I am sure SAF would have been happy if I just wrote them a check for $65.

I don't think that they are mutually exclusive, at least they weren't in my case.

 

[oze]

Yeah, but since I do I likely need to figure out how to turn it off. Otherwise knowing Amazon it'll just default to the most progressive charity available. Were there instructions in the email?

The email indicated that the whole Smile concept is going away. No need to turn it off, because it will no longer exist. Amazon is just going to dig into its deep pockets and dole out the $millions as it sees fit.

 

[wtburnette]

Thanks. I didn't want to read through their garbage to find that gem...

 

[KLB]

Welcome to public corporations. Cost cutting to get that stock price up.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Theres no turning it on or off. You either bought from smile.amazon.com and part of your purchase was donated, or just amazon.com and none of it was. I donated all mine to the local fire department (St. Anthony, not Ferdinand). They had received like $400 over the last year. Doesnt sound like a lot, but for a very small town fire department, it helped.