Portland, OR. The season of giving doesn’t have to end with Christmas; it can continue through AmazonSmile, a program that automatically donates to a nonprofit organization of your choice. The program offers all of the same items, prices, and benefits of online shopping while donating 0.5% of your purchases to the charity of your choice. Some even use AmazonSmile while shopping on their phones, as seen above.
A recent quarterly AmazonSmile notification informed shoppers that the Oregon Food Bank (seen above before the pandemic) recently received a donation of $1,752.15, at no cost to them.
AmazonSmile launched in 2013 and for the past seven years, it has provided a way for customers to support organizations they care about every time they shop. This program comes at no cost to the organizations or customers, and donations could help a wide range of organizations from global humanitarian efforts to local hospitals to school PTA’s.
“Donations from AmazonSmile have resulted in hundreds of thousands of charities expanding their meaningful work across global communities making a difference in people’s lives,” said Llew Mason, Vice President of Consumer Engagement at Amazon. “We are thrilled to have given over $215 million on behalf of customers to the causes they care about most.”
AmazonSmile can be accessed through a web browser and also through the app for iPhones and Android phones. Another way to directly donate items is through the AmazonSmile Charity Lists where the organization will have a list of items of what is needed most.
For first time users, to access the program first visit smile.amazon.com. Then follow the steps below.
Sign in with your Amazon credentials
Choose a charitable organization to receive donations or search the charity of your choice
Then just select the organization and start shopping
Current spotlight organizations include UNCF (United Negro College Fund), Equal Justice Initiative, Feeding America, Save the Children, and Meals On Wheels America. In addition, there are also thousands of organizations to browse and choose from which are sorted into categories such as international or even by state.
When beginning to give back and donate there will be a choice between spotlight charities and searching for an organization.
Organizations can also register for AmazonSmile by visiting: org.amazon.com/signout and follow the steps below.
Click the yellow “Register Now” button
Search for your organization by name or EIN
Click the yellow “Register” button next to your organization’s name
Follow the instructions to complete registration
Tanya Ramos, CEO for Pencils of Promise, explains how the donations with AmazonSmile have helped the organization, “Education is the most powerful tool we can use to change the world. Thanks to the generosity of AmazonSmile customers, Pencils of Promise has helped provide access to quality education for over 100,000 children around the globe.”
From the AmazonSmile Foundation website: The AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile program are remitted by a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. to the AmazonSmile Foundation. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organizations selected by our customers. Amazon pays all expenses of the AmazonSmile Foundation; they are not deducted from the donation amounts generated by purchases on AmazonSmile.
Portland, OR. The Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) raised $1.2 million at its 18th annual Wonderball gala on September 29th to fuel its mission of prescribing joy to seriously ill children and their families. CCA welcomed more than 800 supporters to the Oregon Convention Center for a night inspired by the healing power of the great outdoors and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It was a theme embraced by CCA Founder Regina Ellis; Jessi Duley, Founder, BurnCycle; Amy Montagne, VP/GM Global Categories, Nike; Andrea Corradini, Women’s Global Senior Footwear Product Director, Nike; May Shelstad, VP/GMM Global Merchandising, Nike.
Joanna Summers, Young Athletes Operations, Nike, Inc.; Holly Moore, Principle, Holly Moore Design; Danielle York, President, CCA; Jennifer Balint, Senior Executive Recruiter, Amazon, Inc.; Carly Grimes, Lifestyle/Home Decor Designer, Merchandiser Mom LLC
Mike Ellis, Mary Lytle, and Andy Lytle, Division VP, Jackson Family Wines and CCA Board of Directors
Stephen Bowden, Academy Mortgage; and Quinlyn, CCA-served kid dressed as woodland animal
Paul Gulick, co-founder, InFocus, and his guests Lisa and Lou Williams
Nike team featuring Sabreena Cook, Blair Cook, Ashley McMullen, Matt McMullen, Natalie Howes, and Phil Howes
Mark Barzda, Gevurtz Menashe; Michael Preisz, Preisz and Associates; and Albert Menashe, Gevurtz Menashe
Doug Fish, Fish Marketing; Michelle DeCourcy; Rosemary Colliver, Board of Directors Chair and LAIKA, Inc.; Frank Weiss, Partner, Tonkon Torp
Portland band, Lenore, set the mood for the evening with their original song, “Breathe”.
Lilly Webb, teen speaker and Jesuit High School senior, shared her uplifting story of recovery and leadership
Scott Burton, Director of Revenue Management, Regence BlueCross BlueShield, CCA Board of Directors, co-hosted the main program
Painted Sky Northstar Dance Company kicked off the evening with an immersive performance celebrating the Pacific Northwest
CS Sheffield, Co-Chair, CCA Ambassador Board and National Oncology Account Manager, Merck, interviewing Bronwyn Houston, President, Randall Children’s Hospital, Legacy Emmanuel for Facebook Live
Will Carey, family speaker, and Sasquatch
John Power, Director of Sales, PDX Property Group; Kenneth Avery, Hasson; and Josh Hackenjos, Broker, Keller Williams
Abby Guyer, VP Brand, CCA; Clare Hamill, VP Global Growth Initiatives, Nike; Judi Davis; Regina Ellis, Founder and Chief Joy Officer, CCA.
“Upon founding CCA, we knew first-hand that kids needed more than medicine, so we set out to change the conversation in pediatric healthcare at a time when no one else was talking about joy in the same breath as cancer,” said Regina Ellis, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of Children’s Cancer Association during her keynote speech. “Reflecting on the past 23 years, CCA’s trailblazing programs have leveraged music, friendship, and nature to transform moments of pain, isolation and fear in children and teens with serious illness. We are the only organization of our kind positioning joy as best practice in children’s hospitals across the nation.”
A record-breaking paddle raise was led by Kelly Russell of Artisan Auctions following inspiring addresses from Jesuit High School senior, Lilly Webb, a member of CCA’s Young Adult Alliance; and CCA parent, Will Carey, who shared the powerful ways CCA continues to support his family, even after the loss of his son Jack fourteen years ago.
Guests enjoyed live music throughout the night with performances from Out West, Lenore, and a host of Portland “troubadour” musicians who played tableside during the dinner hour before the formal program began with a dramatic traditional dance from Painted Sky Northstar Dance Company. The evening ended with a sing-a-long rendition of “Country Roads, Take Me Home” followed by an after-party for late night revelers with DJ Rev Shines at Spirit of 77.
CCA’s Wonderball was made possible by the Presenting sponsor, Regence BlueCross Blue Shield of Oregon. Additional sponsors included PDX Property Group as Lead sponsor and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel as Celebration sponsor
You can get involved by donating to Children’s Cancer Association at JoyRx.org/donate.
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
