Use your Amazon Smile to fundraise while shopping

Just signed up to this for Invest in ME.
Note; to get the donation when you shop on Amazon you need to go via a different URL. This is explained and you can get an Amazon assistant addon for your browser.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/

 

I LOLed at nothing to do with EC, smile is so synonymous with her that we are jaded now

 

I changed mine the moment I could! I've been wanting the ME charities to sign up to this for a while, since many of us rely on Prime for when we can't get out. That 0.05% soon adds up!

Also, folks, you can get VAT refunded on items used for your ME (aids and adaptations only). Amazon makes it pretty easy to do. See here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/cu...11F__SECTION_3CD787FDED3B4289ABE931960A34FA37

 

"Amazon donates 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to the charitable organisation of your choice."

 

Oops. You're right. That's what I meant.

 

I'd been using a link on meruk website where I'd thought more than 0.5% went to them from amazon.
It's worth doing as I regularly shop there simply for convenience, or price but it doesn't make amazon a hero, their tax affairs and many other companies give good cash back on sites such as easy fundraising or topcashback (up to 12-15% in some cases) so don't think amazon is always the best way to assist charities through shopping.

 

Well that was so easy even I could do it!

 

Merged thread

Many, if not all, of the mainstream ME charities are part of this, so it's easy to donate when you shop.

UK instructions

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/chpf/about/

US instructions

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/about/

Search "smile amazon" to find out if this scheme runs in your country if other than UK and US.

 

I recently got a notice from Amazon about the totals and as of June 9, $10,680 was raised for the OMF, with a recent quarterly total of $1,022, out of a grand total of $134.9M to date.

Sadly doesn't work from Canada.

 

I didn't know you could do that, thanks. I've tried to avoid using them for years, as a bit of a protest at the low tax they get away with. However, my wife uses them and since I've been stuck indoors this year I've started to as well. This will at least alleviate some of my guilt!

 

Nor for OMF from the UK. I checked.

 

I do most of my shopping on Amazon and eBay due to being mostly housebound, and have been donating to Invest In ME Research via Amazon's Smile scheme for the past couple of years. It's not much but every little bit helps.

 

I donate to Invest in ME too. According to the last mail I got I've sent them about £40 over the last couple of years, at no additional cost to me – it might only be a small amount, but it's still better than a slap in the face with a wet haddock!

 

From Germany, one can use Amazon Smile to donate to "Deutsche Gesellschaft für ME/CFS" or "Fatigatio".

There is a charity called "OMF International Deutschland", but this is the "Overseas Missionary Fellowship".

 

In addition to Amazon Smile, there's also Gooding. Gooding works for over 1800 online-shops (many big ones like Deutsche Bahn, iTunes, online pharmacies, Etsy etc.) and while Amazon Smile gives 0,5% of a purchase, they give up to 8%. I have an "app" (don't know the right term in English) in my browser and when I open an online shop that is part of the program, get a reminder that I can collect donations (Gooding also lists e.g. the "Deutsche Gesellschaft"). Amazon used to be part of gooding but then they made their own Smile program (and save a lot of money with 0,5% instead of 8%). I use both Amazon Smile and Gooding.

***
There are different programs in Germany, might be worth to check if there are additional other programs in the country one lives in. Most give more % than Amazon Smile and they can be used both.

 

https://twitter.com/user/status/1157310606929747968

 

Merged thread

Amazon Smile is a program to donate a small portion of the price of stuff you buy on Amazon to charity you nominate.
This only works if you actually go to smile.amazon.co.uk - or similar.
In order to ease remembering this, there are a number of browser addons that will redirect you to smile.amazon - when you click a link to amazon.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/amazon-smile/ - as one example. (several exist, not affiliated with above author).
So far, the 15p I've donated through this doesn't compare to my direct donations, but it all helps.

 

I use Smile, but for other shops Give as You Live is good. Unbelievably it appears I've raised £93.29 there!!! Obviously I have a bad shopping habit and need to rein myself back! But I have been using them for a long time, so maybe I'm not that bad...

 

I have raised over £130 with give as you live too. Every week we get a Sainsbury’s grocery deliver and that adds 50p. Over the years it adds up! Worth an extra click I think.