BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Amazon's charity program, AmazonSmile, announced just a week ago on Jan. 18 that the program would shut down, with an official end date of Feb. 20.
"As we have started to grow, we started to see more buying AmazonSmile so it's been super helpful just to have it as another option."
Every Bottom Covered executive director, Raziya Hill, told 7 News' Pheben Kassahun that AmazonSmile has been a tool her non-profit has been using since it was first formed in 2016.
AmazonSmile is a donation program that gives back five percent of the price of eligible products you buy to the charity of your choice. The website lets you browse and buy items, similar to Amazon.
Ten Lives Club Public Relations Manager Kimberly LaRussa said the cat adoption group usually receives around $7,000 a year in donations from AmazonSmile.
"For an organization like Ten Lives Club, that is a really significant amount to help our rescue cats in our care," LaRussa said. "Ten Lives Club is one of the rescues in Western New York that hustles every single day."
Ten Lives Club is also feeling the brunt of Amazon's latest cost-cutting move, the animal rescue organization thrives off of help from the community.
"We didn't even have to do any work for that program. People would just pick us for their charity of choice. We would advertise and let everyone know that we were using AmazonSmile as a way to get donations," LaRussa said. "Other than that, that was such an easy way to raise money for the cats. It allowed us to focus on taking care of the cats in our care."
Thankfully for the Ten Lives and Every Bottom Covered organizations, the shutdown of AmazonSmile won't impact them to the point they are unable to work. Hill advises others to utilize other means like Walmart's Spark Good.
"Walmart has Spark Good and I encourage other organizations to be a part of that. It's very similar to AmazonSmile. You get a percentage based on what people purchase from Walmart and Walmart.com," Hill said.
Other organizations similar to AmazonSmile and Spark Good include Amazon Wish List, Target Wish List Registry, and DollarDays Wishlist.
"Social media is a great tool. It's a great way to raise awareness and raise funding. We raise funding for the cats by telling their stories on social media. You know that tool is a great way to raise money on social media," Hill said.
