Thanks to Tom Pittman for creating this brief but very helpful video:
“How to Use Amazon Smile to Make Donations”
Folks, there is absolutely no reason not to use this. It costs you absolutely nothing. Nothing. And yet it can benefit causes that you choose.
Now, on one level, it doesn’t yield huge revenues. It generates half of one percent of your purchase price. So, if you buy something for a hundred dollars through smile.amazon.com — which has exactly the same inventory and exactly the same prices as the rest of amazon.com — Amazon contributes $0.50 (fifty cents) to the charity that you’ve chosen.
If a thousand people were to do so, though, that would yield five hundred dollars. And if ten thousand people were to buy $500 worth of goods through smile.amazon.com over the course of a year — something that isn’t altogether inconceivable — Amazon would be contributing fully $25,000 to their chosen charities. Not bad.
Now, please note again that this would be at no cost to the individuals designating such charitable gifts. No cost at all.
Of course, smile.amazon.com has the slight disadvantage that you can’t write off your “donations” as tax deductible. But then, that’s because you haven’t actually donated a penny. Amazon has.
You’re still entirely free to make charitable donations in the regular way, obviously. I do encourage you (and myself) to make such donations. There are hundreds if not tens of thousands of good causes that would benefit from your generosity. But whether or not you make such donations, you should surely consider signing up and purchasing through smile.amazon.com. For the life of me, I can’t see any reason not to.
Consider this fascinating new article, by Steven Densley, Jr.:
“Science Confirms the Blessings of Generosity”
And then consider making a donation to the charity or charities of your choice.
Worthwhile charities are almost infinitely varied.
You know that I’m seeking contributions for the support of the Interpreter Foundation:
“Donating to the Interpreter Foundation”
And I’m hoping that people will be generous in their offerings to the humanitarian and other funds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But here are my other two charities of personal choice:
Operation Underground Railroad
“The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”
(Albert Schweitzer)
“A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”
(Joseph Smith, Jr.)
Whatever you do, though, sign up for smile.amazon.com.
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