Coupons for Good: 3 Ways to Support Charities While Shopping Online

Online shopping brings goods to your doorstop at the click of a button. There’s no need to go out to the stores to find what you need. Simply search for it online, read the reviews, and have your choice delivered to you.

What you might not know, however, is that your purchase can also help charities receive donations from the online retailer. With online retailers, charity donations work the same as they do with brick and mortar stores. The human element is very much present in charitable giving, even though you never interact with a person during your shopping. Following are three retailers who support charitable giving in unique ways.

Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile offers perhaps the easiest way to donate to a charity. You start by going to Amazon and picking a charity that appeals to you. The site then redirects you to a URL that begins with the word smile, and you start your shopping. Pick your items, put them in your cart, and make your purchase. Amazon will then donate half a percent of your purchase price to the charity.

This might not seem like a large sum to donate, but your purchase is just one of many. Take into consideration the fact that there are thousands of people doing the same as you are. The numbers add up, greatly benefiting the charity of your choice.

Shutterfly

Shutterfly’s online printing services enable you to print pictures you’ve taken on your phone or digital camera. The printing service gives you physical copies of your memories, unlocking them from digital media.

When you use Shutterfly to print pictures, some of your purchase price goes towards helping charitable organizations. The company formed its foundation with a contribution of stock generated from Shutterfly’s initial public offering (IPO). It’s run by employees who volunteer their time. Shutterfly donates money to community organizations that help children, run food banks, and operate urban farm projects. Shutterfly also encourages its employees to spend time with their favorite charities.

Groupon

The undisputed champion of online coupons focuses on helping local charities through its daily offerings. The coupon company prefers to work with local organizations where the money has the greatest impact. Money donated to local charities circulates through the community instead of going to projects with a wider reach.

Charities apply to Groupon to become a Charity Partner. Once accepted, Groupon helps by creating copy for the charity, provides assistance for a public relations campaign, and creates a link that encourages Groupon users to donate. Groupon also gives the charity access to a merchant center that shows the progress of the donations. All money generated from the campaign goes directly to the charity itself. Groupon does not take a cut even though the company goes above and beyond when providing assistance.

You’re saving money when shopping online with any of these online businesses, but you’re also giving back to those in need. These retailers harness nickels and dimes from their sales so everyone involved benefits in one way or another.

Last updated by Angela Rogers on November 22, 2016.