5 Alternatives to AmazonSmile for Integrated Charity Giving

AmazonSmile was discontinued by Amazon, leaving a void for nonprofits to collect donations from Amazon buyers for free.

Nonprofit leaders are now looking for new platforms and places to continue their fundraising efforts with little overhead following this decision.

To help them keep their small donations going without the time and money spent on tedious fundraising talks, we’ve created a list of alternative integrated charitable giving platforms.

We compared AmazonSmile’s popular process and features – and compiled both positive and negative feedback from nonprofits on the messages.

What is AmazonSmile?

Amazon has ended its well-known AmazonSmile charity initiative as of February 23, 2023.

The integrated charitable giving platform enabled nonprofits to accept donations from everyday Amazon shoppers with no additional cost or direct engagement.

The program has earned more than $400 million for nonprofit partners in the US alone and more than $449 million worldwide since its launch in 2013.

The marketplace giant’s charity platform allowed Amazon customers to donate 0.5% of their purchase price to various charities via AmazonSmile.

Through the AmazonSmile Foundation, the donations are automatically transferred to the account of the non-profit organization in a relatively uncomplicated payment process.

The program is free for both clients and nonprofits to use, making it a desirable choice for anyone looking to raise money without incurring overhead.

Nonprofit groups were happy with the program because it offered them an easy way to make money and focus on their mission without having to worry about funding (at least in part).

Although AmazonSmile was easy to use and had little overhead, nonprofit groups had some reservations about the donation amount.

The donation rate of 0.5% was negligible; Many charities felt they were not receiving enough money to make a meaningful impact.

Additionally, nonprofit organizations may only receive money through certain channels, such as B. Bank transfers, which can take several weeks to process and make the allocation of funds a hurdle for some organizations.

Despite these issues, nonprofit groups (big and small) continued to use AmazonSmile as a popular platform and reliable source of funding.

Following Amazon’s public statement online and in the news announcing the discontinuation of AmazonSmile due to leadership concerns about the platform’s low impact, many are wondering if recent tech industry volatility and Amazon’s budget cuts play a role .

Regardless, nonprofit leaders are looking for the next best alternative.

What are the best alternative charitable giving platforms?

Fortunately, nonprofits have access to numerous additional built-in charitable giving platforms.

They likely require more setup and configuration than AmazonSmile, but also offer a lot more control and customization that nonprofits can use to their advantage.

My list of the best current options out there is below:

1. Charity

Benevity is a top corporate social responsibility platform that provides businesses and nonprofit groups with a tool to monitor and monitor their social impact.

It offers various services such as B. Campaign donations, volunteer management, and donation matching.

The site also allows nonprofit groups to set up fundraisers and receive donations directly into their accounts.

The platform is a desirable alternative for nonprofit groups looking to connect with businesses as it includes various corporate partners such as Google, Microsoft, and Target.

Benevity offers customized pricing plans based on the needs and size of the nonprofit.

2. GiveGab

GiveGab is a one-stop fundraising platform that provides nonprofit organizations with various tools to design and manage fundraising campaigns.

Some of the features offered include peer-to-peer fundraising, event management, and volunteer management.

To help nonprofits track their success and make fact-based decisions, GiveGab also offers a range of fundraising analysis and reporting tools.

With a 2% transaction fee for donations, the monthly price is zero dollars.

3. Donor box

An easy-to-use donation platform called Donorbox allows nonprofit organizations to design customized donation forms and collect recurring payments.

The platform’s integration with well-known payment processors such as PayPal and Stripe makes receiving money easy and fast.

In addition, Donorbox offers various services such as donor management, data analysis and integrations with well-known CRM systems such as Salesforce.

For nonprofits, the price starts at 1.5% per transaction, making it an affordable option.

4. RallyUp

With the help of the RallyUp fundraising platform, non-profit groups can design and control a variety of fundraising initiatives such as sweepstakes, auctions and crowdfunding.

It also offers social media connectors, editable donation pages, and fundraising campaign progress tracking.

RallyUp’s pricing structure is simple, with no setup fees, no monthly fees, and a flat 4.9% processing fee on donations.

Because of this, RallyUp can be an attractive choice for nonprofit groups looking for a flexible, affordable fundraising platform.

5. Just Giving

A UK-based fundraising tool called JustGiving allows nonprofit groups to design unique donation pages, track payments, and get money straight into their accounts.

Various services are available on the website, e.g. B. Team fundraising, event management and integrations with well-known CRM systems.

With over 22 million registered members worldwide, JustGiving has a sizable user base and is a fantastic choice for nonprofits trying to reach a global audience.

While there is no information on pricing on its website as of March 2023, JustGiving will provide pricing estimates upon request.

How should nonprofits move away from AmazonSmile?

Many thought leaders in the nonprofit sector are interpreting the news as a signal to reprioritize the development of their organization’s mission, vision and values ​​in order to attract larger donations.

While this is incredibly important for any brand to prioritize, it takes time. And if there’s one thing nonprofit leaders don’t have, it’s time.

In summary, there are many other accessible, integrated charitable giving platforms, although the demise of AmazonSmile can be distressing for nonprofits that have become dependent on the platform.

Despite the inconvenience, it’s crucial for nonprofits to carefully consider which platform best suits their needs, as each of the platforms we cover offers unique features, pricing structures, and areas of specialization.

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