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by TheQwerty 3261 days ago
RE AmazonSmile: Be sure that the organization you wish to support is aware of the program and actually registered with Amazon to receive the funds.

The list of charities that Amazon shows are from GuideStar USA which has compiled the information from the IRS, but this includes organizations which may not have registered and thus may never receive the donations.

See the section "Charitable Organizations that Do Not Register" here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/pd/ref=smi_se_saas_lpd_spd
1 comments
ojbyrne 3261 days ago
How do you know if your chosen organization is registered? Is there a list somewhere?
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TheQwerty 3261 days ago
Good question!

The best way appears to be to pretend you want to register that organization on Amazon's Org Central site[0] which shows which already registered. (An example search for Child's Play[1].)

As a shopper I do not believe Amazon makes this abundantly clear when you're selecting an organization. One thing to look for is the amount of information shown about the organization, specifically the incorporation year, as those that register have to fill out a profile.

According to the FAQ if a shopper selects an organization that is not registered and makes an eligible purchase they will track the donation. If the organization registers they'll get the donation, but if they have not after 2 years then Amazon will contact the shopper and give them 30 days to select a new charity. (I'm not sure if this then resets the 2 year clock or not.) If the shopper does not select a new organization then Amazon reallocates the donation across the registered organizations.

In any case the only way to be 100% sure is to inquire with the organization.

[0]: https://org.amazon.com/

[1]: https://org.amazon.com/npo/search?q=Child%27s%20Play&p=1

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