AmazonSmile & FOTCM Donations

As I was researching a personal health topic/issue online today I came across a link to 'AmazonSmile' (an Amazon program that donates to charitable organizations selected by Amazon customers) and immediately thought of the FOTCM.

Under the 'Get Started' tab on the 'AmazonSmile' website (@ _https://org.amazon.com/) it states that the 'AmazonSmile' Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to charitable organizations selected by customers; it also states that as long as any organization is listed by 'GuideStar', and also meets Amazon's eligibility criteria, an organization can register/join. From there I clicked the 'GuideStar' link, plugged in the FOTCM and found that it is listed by 'GuideStar (_http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/27-1287368/fellowship-cosmic-mind.aspx); however when I plugged in the FOTCM into the search field at 'AmazonSmile' I found that the FOTCM is not listed as one of the charities that I can select to donate to, therefore I thought I would post this information here on the forum in case the FOTCM is not aware of the program, is aware and has chosen not to register/join, or if it is in fact listed as one of the charities at 'AmazonSmile' and I am missing it.

That said, since a lot of us shop for 'QFS Recommended Reading List' books on Amazon (https://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,33092.0.html) along with various other purchases, I thought this would be yet another way to donate to the FOTCM (that's if 'AmazonSmile' is a program that the FOTCM finds trustworthy and worthwhile), for every little bit counts. :)
 
Thanks for that info, Robin, we'll definitely be looking into it asap!
 
Bump. I just got a popup when visiting Amazon for this program. I searched both FOTCM and Fellowship of the Cosmic Mind and it didn't appear. Here is the FAQ for the program:

About AmazonSmile
Get started
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. 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. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to AmazonSmile to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?

Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.

Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?

Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?

On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation.

Can I change my charity?

Yes, you can change your charity any time. Your AmazonSmile purchases after the change count towards your newly selected charity. To change your charity, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser and simply select “Change your Charity” in “Your Account.”

What charities can I choose from?

You can choose from almost one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations.

What if my selected charity does not register to participate in the AmazonSmile program or becomes ineligible?

If an organization does not register to participate or becomes ineligible, you will have a chance to select a different organization or we will redistribute donations earned among other organizations receiving donations.

If I represent a charitable organization, how can I learn more about registering my organization for AmazonSmile?

Go to org.amazon.com to learn how to register your organization to receive donations.


How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.

Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?

Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.

How can I learn more about AmazonSmile?

Please see complete AmazonSmile program details http://smile.amazon.com/gp/charity/pd.html/ref=smi_ge_raas_pd_pd.
 
Amazon smile - free money for FOTCM when members shop on amazon

Hey gang, just discovered Amazon smile, it's a program Amazon does to let it's customers choose a charity to benefit every time a purchase is made.

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice when you shop at smile.amazon.com

Sott or FOTCM should have an account setup with them.
 
Re: Amazon smile - free money for FOTCM when members shop on amazon

Hey Puck,

We already have a topic about this: AmazonSmile & FOTCM Donations

Apparently in your enthusiasm you forgot to do a search before posting -- which is quite understandable, I think. ;)
 
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

:bacon:
 
Approaching Infinity said:
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

:bacon:

It looks like AmazonSmile does only exist in the american Amazon? I could not find it on german Amazon...
 
Pashalis said:
Approaching Infinity said:
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

:bacon:

It looks like AmazonSmile does only exist in the american Amazon? I could not find it on german Amazon...

Yes, you're right. For now, at least, the program only works for US charities using the US site. Probably for legal reasons.
 
Approaching Infinity said:
Pashalis said:
Approaching Infinity said:
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

:bacon:

It looks like AmazonSmile does only exist in the american Amazon? I could not find it on german Amazon...

Yes, you're right. For now, at least, the program only works for US charities using the US site. Probably for legal reasons.

Amazon.com customer forums page:

31-Oct-2013 03:05 PDT
The description of Amaxzon SMILE says that you have to purchase through amazon.com. I buy in the UK, via amazon.co.uk - can I participate in amzon smile?


31-Oct-2013 03:15 PDT
It looks like this program is just linked to purchases from amazon.com ...for now. I'm sure they'll expand it in the future.

(from the press release at the bottom:)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1870185&highlight=

You could order from here things if you like, if you find it's still cost effective after the international delivery, or you can still keep you eye out for charities over there you may want to support who participate in the Amazon UK affiliates program, where you can help support them by clicking through the Amazon links of their site to do your shopping on Amazon UK.

Thing is, if someone wanted to give a small or considerable amount to a charity, they would have to give many times more than that to Amazon, apparently. Dunno the truth of that though. Supposedly, $100 to the charity of choice would mean Amazon takes several thousands.... and "donates" 0.5% or whatever it actually is. And they don't pay corporation tax either.
 
Ascien said:
Thing is, if someone wanted to give a small or considerable amount to a charity, they would have to give many times more than that to Amazon, apparently. Dunno the truth of that though. Supposedly, $100 to the charity of choice would mean Amazon takes several thousands.... and "donates" 0.5% or whatever it actually is. And they don't pay corporation tax either.

If someone wants to make a donation to the charity, it's best for them to just donate directly to the charity in question. That's not the way AmazonSmile works. They will donate a small percentage of your Amazon purchase to the charity of your choice. In other words, if I want to buy a book and a DVD, I can buy it on Amazon using the regular site. OR I can use AmazonSmile, and .5% of the price will be donated to QFG. So, a purchase I was going to make anyways ends up contributing towards QFG, in addition to anything I would choose to actually donate directly.
 
Approaching Infinity said:
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

How about putting that link on the sott.net page with some sort of tagline?
Perhaps any links to books in articles can be supplied with it's proper QFG amazon link?
 
domi said:
Approaching Infinity said:
Thanks everyone for the heads up. QFG is now signed up for this. You can purchase on Amazon and have a portion donated to QFG by visiting this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/30-0204116

How about putting that link on the sott.net page with some sort of tagline?
Perhaps any links to books in articles can be supplied with it's proper QFG amazon link?

Links and banners are coming. The ones they give us are too big, so I have to make some modifications.

As for how Smile works, you can't link to a product with smile enabled. It's a per-account kind of thing.

So, you go to the above link, and confirm that you want your shopping to donate to QFG. That then takes you to smile.amazon.com for shopping...

If you go to _www.amazon.com in the future, it will NOT be supporting QFG. You must always return to smile.amazon.com, and then it will show at the top of the page:

Supporting: Quantum Future Group

When you pick your charity, they give you the option to install a little addon that puts an Amazon Smile button in your browser that links directly to the smile.amazon.com site.

Basically, first you pick your charity, and then you have to remember to shop at smile.amazon.com instead of the normal Amazon. And then they'll donate 0.5% to QFG.

Added: Actually, you can link to our books for sale, for example, by using smile.amazon.com instead of _www.amazon.com... But, this only works if you've already enabled your charity. Otherwise, it just shows you the product on normal _www.amazon.com, with a banner at the top saying "pick your charity!" So, we can change all of our links, which will make it work seemlessly only for those who have already selected QFG as their Smile charity. It's better than nothing. They definitely don't make it easy.
 
Found this one on the American homepage of SotT -- right under Quote of the Day:

amazon_smile_sb.png
 
Just ordered two books from smile.amazon.com with QFG as my chosen charity.

Looking forward to receiving: Earth Changes and the Human Cosmic-Connection and also When the Body Says No.
 
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