Something To Smile About
By Kari Felkamp
Amazon.com has become a staple in online shopping. The company saw record-breaking sales in 2016, bringing in $43.7 billion in the fourth quarter alone. And now your park foundation or charitable organization can get a piece of the pie.
Last fall, the People for Elmhurst Parks Foundation (PEP) in Elmhurst, Ill., received a letter from Amazon requesting that the foundation join the AmazonSmile program. Unbeknownst to the board, people were out there who wanted to donate to its cause online. At first glance, it might have seemed like a ploy to get bank information. But AmazonSmile is a legitimate way to fundraise for a foundation or local charity every time one shops!
On AmazonSmile, you’ll find the 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 a favorite charitable organization. To date, Amazon has donated more than $46 million to charities all over the world. In order to support your favorite charity, simply log on to smile.amazon.com, select the organization, and then start shopping!
Prior to signing up for the program, nearly $20 had already been raised. That may not seem like much, but every bit helps. And that shows that people are taking it upon themselves to seek out and support our foundation.
“The small amount of money that was generated initially was done by people on their own, who know about PEP and support what we do,” says Pete Goworowski, PEP Board President. “So we’re hoping that, by promoting the program and getting the word out to the community, we’ll be able to bring in more funds to support our projects.”
Gaining A Financial Advantage
Board members met with marketing staff at Elmhurst Park District to discuss ways to promote the foundation’s participation in the program. A graphic was created and included on the foundation’s page of the website at www.epd.org, and also included in the district’s quarterly brochure, which is distributed to approximately 17,000 households. Information was also posted to district social media accounts. Local media picked up the story as well.
The PEP board realizes the program won’t be a primary source of income, but any donations generated through the AmazonSmile program will be helpful in supporting the mission.
“In today’s age, so many people are buying online, and we’re hoping to capitalize on that a little. With this program, people can now shop with a purpose and support the charity of their choice,” Goworowski says. “It’s just an additional way for our foundation to bring in some revenue.”
“By shopping online and supporting PEP through AmazonSmile, people are helping families participate in park district programs, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to participate,” Goworowski says.
The Elmhurst Park District leadership team took the program a step further. Staff members throughout the district often purchase items for events and programs on Amazon. So Director of Information Technology Allison Wiggins created an Amazon Business account, which simplifies the purchasing process, maintains sales tax compliance, allows staff to take advantage of the wide selection and competitive prices of the Amazon marketplace, and as an added bonus … support the foundation by shopping via AmazonSmile.
“These are items staff is already purchasing, and now our foundation will be getting a portion of the purchase price,” says Wiggins. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
“The People for Elmhurst Parks Foundation is a dedicated group of volunteers committed to assisting the district in providing open space, beauty, and recreational opportunities for the community,” says Executive Director Jim Rogers. “District staff is proud to support the foundation via AmazonSmile, and we hope the community will step up to support them as well.”
Getting Your Organization Involved
Your foundation or charitable organization can also sign up for an AmazonSmile account and start benefiting from the program. To register, follow these easy steps:
1. Log onto org.amazon.com and search for your organization by name.
2. Select the organization and create an administrator account. You’ll then be asked to accept the AmazonSmile Participation Agreement on behalf of the organization and submit the necessary bank information.
Once the information is verified, you’ll be on your way to bringing in the donations!
Funds are deposited quarterly into your account via electronic transfer. Donations will be transferred approximately 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter. To account for product returns, a portion of the quarterly donations will be withheld until the next donation cycle, subject to any reduction due to returns from prior quarters.
Determing The Amount Of Money
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the purchase price from customers’ eligible purchases to the charitable organizations they select. The purchase price for each item is the sale price, excluding shipping, handling, and gift-wrapping fees, taxes, and service charges, and less any rebates, returns, and bad debt. Certain items are not eligible for and will not result in donations, but tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible! There will be products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product detail pages.
Informing The Public
Log on to org.amazon.com to access tools to help you spread the word to supporters. Sign in to your organization’s account and click on “Marketing Tools” in order to obtain a link to a customized AmazonSmile landing page that you may use in email newsletters, the your website, or in social media posts. Also, access a downloadable website banner and social sharing widgets to reach your Facebook and Twitter followers.
The People for Elmhurst Parks Foundation looks forward to seeing the impact the program has and will continue to promote participation in AmazonSmile. PEP is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1985 to work in partnership with the park district on special projects consistent with the district’s mission of providing open space, beauty, and recreational opportunities for the community. Projects are selected each year that help add value to the district, going above and beyond what can be provided with limited tax dollars. To learn more, log on to www.epd.org or call 630.993.8900.
Kari Felkamp is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Elmhurst Park District in Elmhurst, Ill. Reach her at (630) 993-8923, or kfelkamp@epd.org.