Give back while shopping

 

Opportunities for charitable giving abound. The most convenient way to give back may entail something people already do nearly every day: shop.

Supporting worthy causes and making a difference doesn’t have to consume a lot of time or effort. Various nonprofit organizations have streamlined the process by working in conjunction with international, national and even local merchants. At point of service registers or when checking out online, consumers can allocate funds to worthy causes. Here are some examples of giving tied to retail.

Amazon Smile
Amazon enables shoppers to follow a distinct link (https://smile.amazon.com) in order to directly donate to hundreds of charities. Simply designate a charity from the drop down menu and Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases to your charity of choice.

Collection jars
Visit any number of stores and you’ll probably come across collection jars or bins for various charities. Some merchants may have collections for coats or gently used items that can be delivered to the needy. Others will ask if you want to purchase a new item from their stock to donate to worthy causes. One popular retail collection has been going strong for decades at McDonald’s restaurants in support of Ronald McDonald House charities.

Checkout charities
Checkout charities are another way that campaigns raise money. They come in various forms. Some require customers to purchase a paper card that is displayed at the store and then a donation is made to a particular charity, such as Children’s Miracle Network or the ALS Foundation. Many stores, both national retailers and mom-and-pops, have round up charities that enable customers to round up their change to the nearest whole dollar on credit card transactions and donate the difference to the charity the store is assisting. Through the RoundUpApp, debit and credit card transactions provide a stream of recurring donations.
While checkout charities can highlight organizations people may never find on their own. However, they do not give potential donors a chance to research a charity’s mission. Shoppers can conduct that research on their own as part of being responsible donors.

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