After stuffing my face last week during Thanksgiving, my family rummaged all the Black Friday ads together to find the best deals. However, I knew there was something better coming up, a day that I could sit in my pajamas, drink my morning coffee, and snag some great deals — Cyber Monday! I prefer minimal interactions with people at 3 am while everyone is going after the same item. In addition to shopping from the comfort of my own home, I also believe in supporting my favorite organizations, like the National FFA Organization.
When it comes to Cyber Monday, most people check Amazon’s deals first. While other online retailers have great online deals, Amazon has a wonderful opportunity to give back to organizations that the consumer cares about. This opportunity to support organizations, such as the National FFA Organization, doesn’t just happen on Cyber Monday. You can shop at smile.amazon.com throughout the whole year and continually help the future of agriculture, just by shopping!
According to their website, “AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.”
That 0.5% comes at no extra cost to the consumer or the nonprofit. It means you can complete your Christmas list, grab the best deals, and meet your everyday needs while helping your state FFA foundation.
The AmazonSmile program started in 2013 and has donated more than $156 million to charitable organizations (as of November 2019). So while it may not seem like 0.5% is very much, it can add up quickly. For example, YouGov predicts the average American will spend $708 on Christmas this year (WOW!). If you register and select either your state FFA foundation or the National FFA Organization, that money can go toward helping the future of agriculture.
How it works
Go to smile.amazon.com and log in (or sign up). After that you can search for your favorite organization. State FFA foundations and the National FFA Organization would really appreciate your donations. However, some local chapters have also registered, so double check if your local chapter is participating in AmazonSmile.
After you have selected which FFA organization you want to send your charities to, you shop like normal. The layout, products, price, and deals are the same. The 0.5% contribution does not increase your price, but instead is an automatic way for you to support FFA every time you shop, at no cost to you. Be sure to benchmark the AmazonSmile site so every time you shop, it goes towards your charity.
In addition to shopping and supporting your favorite FFA organization, you can check Charity Lists through AmazonSmile. Charity Lists allows nonprofits to create a list of things they need. From there, you can purchase and send it straight to the organization. For example, the Pennsylvania FFA Foundation has a list to help offset the cost of everyday office supplies. In addition, the Elkhorn FFA Alumni has items such as ladders, crock pots, and paper towel dispensers that can help their FFA members.
Although the AmazonSmile program is there to help nonprofits, we must do our part to consciously help. You must be signed into your account at smile.amazon.com. At this time there is not an app option and all purchases must be made on the desktop version. In addition, if you make regular donations to your FFA organization, they would appreciate the continued support. AmazonSmile is a bonus that FFA organizations can use in addition to normal donations.
Happy shopping!
