|
By Ashton Varner
At this point in my life, I am not often able to give back with money. Instead, I dedicate time and effort to the causes I support. However, several companies have programs that let me give back with the purchases I already have to make for myself. I am able to choose from large-scale charities as well as local non-profits.
This how-to guide is written for people like me who find it difficult to donate monetarily as well as people who want the dollars they were spending anyway to go even farther. Registration for both of these programs is easy and 100% free. First, Fred Meyer Community Rewards
Let’s start with Fred Meyer Community Rewards which donates “over $2 million each year - up to $550,000 each quarter - to the local schools, community organizations and nonprofits of your choice.”
Here’s how to do it: 1. Get a Card To sign up for Community Rewards, you’ll need a Fred Meyer Rewards Card, which is totally free. These cards can be given at the register or at the customer service desk. 2. Register Your Card Once you have a rewards card, register it online here. You’ll be able to connect your card to your personal information. Address and phone number are very important in making your life easier. When you attach an accurate mailing address, Fred Meyer will send you monthly coupons that are specifically targeted to you based on the purchases you’ve made in the past. For some, that might sound a bit Big Brother but I’d prefer to receive coupons I’d actually like to use (for instance, produce & dental floss) than a random new product companies are trying to incentivize. Quarterly, you’ll receive a rebate voucher if you’ve earned 500 or more rewards points in that quarter. When you register your phone number to your card, make your wallet lighter by leaving the physical card at home. Your phone number becomes your “Alternate ID” which you can type into the card processor at the register in the grocery store to be sure you are receiving your points and even at the gas pump to redeem your fuel points. You’ll also be able to add digital coupons to your account and have them melt away from your total at the register. Further questions? Read the FAQ here. 3. Enrolling in Community Rewards Once you’ve registered, follow this link or 1. Click on the logo below, then select “My Account” from the drop-down menu. 
2. Find “Community Rewards” on the left side of the screen.
3. Click “Enroll”.
4. Choose a Non-Profit
Fred Meyers has 1730 pages of non-profits to choose from! These organizations span from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Your choice doesn’t have to be in the town you are currently in as long as it’s on the list. Search in the “Find an Organization” box or “View By Type” to see genres of non-profits. Tip: Search by agency name, zip code, city or state. 
Once you’ve found the agency you’d like to support, click “Enroll”.
That’s all - you are set! As long as you swipe your card or enter your alternate ID at the register, your agency of choice will start earning from your purchases.
You can keep up with your previous quarter’s earnings on the same Community Rewards page. 5. Changing Non-Profit Selection
You can change your agency selection at any time. Simply click “Change Organization” and select a new agency. Or click “Cancel Enrollment” to stop earning altogether. 
Next, Amazon Smile
The only difference between AmazonSmile and the original Amazon is the web address, smile.amazon.com. The shopping and checkout interface all stay the same. The only change that you as a consumer have to make is to shop and checkout through smile.amazon.com rather than amazon.com. You’ll be using the same Amazon account you always have!
In their own words, “When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.” AmazonSmile has over one million organizations to choose from. These include local agencies as well as those with worldwide reach. Eligible products are marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation”. Of those products, AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the purchase price, which is the amount paid for the item minus rebates, shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes or service charges. Here’s how to sign up: 1. Sign in at smile.amazon.com
2. Choose a Charity
You’ll be prompted to select a non-profit, either a spotlight charity or use the search bar. Tip: Search by agency name, zip code, city, state or cause. 
Hover your mouse over “About” to read more about the organization and click “Select” to choose.
On your AmazonSmile impact page, you’ll be able to see what your purchases have contributed. You can also change your chosen charity.
To access this page another time, hover over your “Account & Lists” on the top right side of the webpage. Nearly halfway down the list, select “Your AmazonSmile”.
3. Bookmark the Website.
To make it even easier to shop through AmazonSmile and be sure your purchases are supporting non-profits, you can add a bookmark to your favorite browser or follow these steps found on “Your AmazonSmile” page. 
Finally, Charity ListsAnother charitable option AmazonSmile provides are called “Charity Lists”. Think of it as a wedding registry for charities. They select items they need from Amazon products and supporters can purchase those items in various quantities which will then be delivered directly to the charities.
1. Find a Charity
Browse by “Cause” or use the search bar. Tip: Search by agency name, zip code, city, state or cause. 
2. Select a list.
3. Go Shopping Based on Their Needs
4. Shipping
Be sure when you check out that the items meant for the charity are being shipped to the agency’s address. 
5. Continue to Checkout as Usual
0 Comments
|
Archives
April 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
