AmazonSmile ends: 5 Alternatives for your nonprofit

Amazon announced the end of AmazonSmile shocking the nonprofit world. Since 2013 Amazon has raised over $449 million for more than 1 million different nonprofits. While representatives state “[their] ability to have an impact was often spread too thin,” this is a blow for many nonprofits who relied on these funds. With the end of AmazonSmile, many are asking what options they have for shop-for-good programs.

Whether you’re new or old to using shop-for-good platforms, here are 5 alternatives to AmazonSmile that you may not know about:

ShopRaise

ShopRaise is the program most like AmazonSmile. First Customers shop with the ShopRaise app or web extension. Then ShopRaise passes a percentage on to the nonprofit. Because retailers pay a small fee for ShopRaise to send traffic to their stores, there is no cost to either the nonprofit or its supporters.

ShopRaise provides marketing materials for emails, social media and web banners, which are customized for your cause. ShopRaise, also, easily integrates with donor management systems!

Whether it’s shopping for daily essentials, buying home goods, or booking a trip, the ShopRaise app lets you support a mission while shopping online all at no additional cost!

The Good:

• From Expedia to Walmart to Macy’s, there are over 1000 retail partners. Turning everyday shopping into support of nonprofits.
• ShopRaise percentages are significantly higher -earn up to 10 percent! - than with the AmazonSmile program.
• ShopRaise simplifies tracking by integrating with donor management programs.

The Downside:

• It’s not as well known as larger companies like Target, Walmart or Amazon. This could mean that fewer people will use it to support your cause. If you decide to use ShopRaise, consider reaching out to your donors to let them know they can use this as an alternative to AmazonSmile.

RaiseRight

RaiseRight is a scrip gift card fundraising platform. Scrip fundraising is a no-selling program. While donors are buying gift cards through RaiseRight, the money spent can still be used for everyday expenditures meaning the purchase isn’t impacting your budget. They offer gift cards to hundreds of popular companies, so you don’t have to change where you typically shop to be able to raise funds. Customers receive their gift cards immediately through email. Then RaiseRight passes on a percentage to the consumers' nonprofit of choice.

If you’re hoping to both shop at Amazon and raise funds for a nonprofit, you can even purchase an Amazon gift card. The giving rates are even better than with AmazonSmile. The average earning is 6% but can go as high as 20%. They also provide online reporting tools to help you keep track of donations.

All at no additional cost! If a customer buys a $50 gift card, they have $50 to spend.

The Good:

• RaiseRight lists the percentage that will be donated to a nonprofit, so you are able to shop for the best deal. They make it easy to compare whether companies like Walmart or Amazon are offering the best rate per purchase, so you can decide where to buy a gift card from and have the biggest impact.
• They also offer bonuses, which increase the amount given by buying a gift card during a set time period.

The Downside:

• Gift card giving has a lot of steps, which may mean too many barriers to entry for some people. With other easier options available, Raise Right feels complex. While the earnings might be higher for some purchases, you also have to weigh the work donors have to do to complete the transaction.

Giving Assistant

Giving Assistant is a cash-back program that works with thousands of retailers. They offer coupons and promo codes to use while shopping. Many codes are automatically plugged in. With each purchase, they earn a commission. They then pass on 50% of that to the customer. While they encourage giving, ultimately this is a cash-back program.

The Good:

• Through Giving Assistant consumers are able to make everyday purchases to support the causes they love.

The Downside:

• It isn’t as user-friendly as it could be. To use Giving Assistant you have to search for deals on their website. This makes it less intuitive and easier to forget to use.
• While customers are encouraged to donate, it is a cash-back program which means donations are not a given.

Target Circle Community Giving

As of July 1, 2022, Target has raised $19.2M and affected 3,500 nonprofits through their Target Circle Community Giving program. Target circle users earn votes by shopping with the Target website, app, or using their RedCard. Grants are then given based on the number of votes a nonprofit receives.

This program is unique from the others in that it’s a vote-based system. The money spent on a purchase goes towards directing funds, not towards increasing funds. Because the money donated is a grant, there is no added cost to the nonprofit or consumer. While Target’s Community Giving initiative is significantly different from AmazonSmile, the fact that it is a larger corporation makes it easily available to a wide range of people.

Target works with in/PACT and Simple Generosity to research and select the nonprofits they partner with.

The Good:

• Because customers cast votes on a small number of local nonprofits there is an increase in exposure to those in your community. A few nonprofits are highlighted in each voting session. This means more eyes see your nonprofit's name.

The Downside:

• Due to the local nature of Target’s giving campaigns donors who live outside your region may not be able to cast votes for your nonprofit.
• Giving campaigns have a set amount of time. This means that unlike AmazonSmile this program is not ongoing for nonprofit partners.

Walmart Spark Good

The Spark Good Nonprofit Portal is Walmart’s hub for nonprofits to manage their fundraising efforts with Walmart. The Spark Good Portal has a lot to offer. Once verified, Nonprofits can use the customer-facing registry, Spark Good Round Up, community grants, a space request tool, and more.

All nonprofits are first verified by FrontDoor, which is powered by CyberGrants. A nonprofit must be in good standing and the person applying must be an authorized user of that organization.

The Good:

• Spark Good lets nonprofits create a wishlist registry. Whether it’s chew toys for a pet rescue or canned goods for a food pantry, nonprofits can create and share their registry with their community.
• Spark Good Round Up lets online shoppers round up their total to the nearest dollar at checkout. Then the “change” is donated to a nonprofit of their choice.

The Downside:

• Unlike AmazonSmile, Walmart's charitable giving is a round up program. Because Walmart isn’t offsetting costs on their end, it is pushed onto the customer.

While Amazon’s decision to end AmazonSmile hits hard for many nonprofits, many consumers have been rethinking ethical shopping and how to best use their dollars to support causes they care about. This announcement has many people looking for better options to have a positive impact on their community. Before, Amazon had the market on shop-for-good, but now, you can show those in your circle there are other options out there!