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Scoping the Cyber Monday deals at Amazon today? There are plenty to be had, from big-ticket items like top-of-the-line Oled TVs and diamond earrings to home items like blenders (boring, but still a deal).
If you’re planning to make a purchase, consider searching for the items you want with the URL Smile.Amazon.com. Launched in 2013, this site mirrors the regular Amazon.com, with one small difference: A portion of the sales from any eligible items purchased will be donated to a charity of your choice.
You can pick or change your charity by navigating to your account and selecting “Your AmazonSmile” and then “change your charity.” Amazon has a few suggestions in the drop-down menu, including the Nature Conservancy, the American Red Cross, Operation Smile, and ASPCA. But almost one million 501(c)(3) charitable organizations are eligible. (I’ve got mine going to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas; there are scores of others like the Trevor Project, Black Lives Matter, and the NAACP that may speak to you, too.) Just look up the organization via the search bar, and you’re in business.
To be clear, it’s a pretty small portion of proceeds that go to charity — a mere 0.5% — but those small margins add up: According to the site, charities have received a total of $37,903,623.82 as of November 2016.
While some have noted that AmazonSmile and similar initiatives can make some would-be donators less likely to give directly, if you’re going to buy something at Amazon anyway, why wouldn’t you do it through AmazonSmile? (Not just on Cyber Monday, but any day.)
And if you want to donate this season without making a purchase through Amazon, we’ve got several ideas for you.