You're already shopping using Amazon, why not continue and make a positive difference while you're at it? Amazon has rolled out Amazon Smile as a way to help consumers help their planet. Every time Amazon shoppers make a purchase using the Amazon Smile program, Amazon will give .5% of the cost to charity, at no extra cost to the shopper. While half a percent isn't a great deal, it allows shoppers to give donations while buying the things they would normally, paying the same amount of money they would have anyhow. Amazon quotes their charitable donations through the program as being around 105 million dollars. The site even offers a tracker for you to discover just how much your pointless online shopping has benefited the world.
It's super easy to access and use, just go up to the bar for the URL and highlight the "www" in front of amazon.com. Change it to "smile" so it reads: http://smile.amazon.com. You'll be directed to the same page you were on, only you will now be using Amazon as Amazon Smile. Replacing your current favorite or bookmark with the Amazon Smile page will make sure you're giving back every time you visit the website. From there, you're able to use the site and purchases the same way as normal.
While there is currently no app on either iPhone or Android to shop using Amazon Smile, the mobile Amazon Smile website is just as easy to use as the app and offers the same features. Just add smile.amazon.com as a favorite to your mobile phone's browser and log in with your account.
The first time you visit the Amazon Smile section of the website you'll choose which charity your contributions will be donated to. You can choose from charities such as the Susan G. Komen foundation, ASPCA, the American Red Cross, the Alzheimer's Association, or the World Wildlife Foundation. You can even search for your own charity if you have an issue close to your heart. Some of these extra options are my own choice, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation for energy conservation, or Save The Children, which promotes the welfare and rights of children in developing countries. Check your favorite charity's website to see if you can make donations to them through Amazon Smile.
Another plus is that you're not permanently tied to the charity you pick the first time. You can change it to your heart's content, even changing it every single time you order something. That way, next time you buy a rose gold marble iPhone case or the blue straw lid for your Hydroflask, you can feel a little better knowing part of the money you're spending is going towards making a positive difference in the world.
If you think about it, Amazon offering the Smile charity feature is a genius move. Millennials, me included, love nothing more than to get the cool product they want while also feeling like they've done a good thing. Generational analysis aside, Amazon Smile is a great way to buy the things you're already buying while making a donation to the organizations you already care about.
