As Amazon closes down the Smile charity programme, we look at alternative ways for Sellers to do good.
The decision by Amazon to shut down its Smile charity initiative is a sad one, with thousands of good causes set to lose much-needed funds they’ve historically generated through the philanthropic programme.
But, for brands still seeking a way to have a positive impact through their Amazon activities, there are other ways you can keep making a difference.
We take a look at two…
The FBA Donations Programme
All FBA Sellers are automatically enrolled in it but, if you don’t know what it is, the Amazon FBA Donations Programme allows you to donate overstock and/or returned product to people in need.
The process is simple – you manually opt into the scheme at a level that works for you, and Amazon handles the shipping and processing of donations to their extensive network featuring charities like Barnardo’s and Age UK for a small removal fee – a brilliant way to reduce waste, save money spent on accrued storage fees and support great causes.
And the programme really does help those who benefit from the donations – in 2021, for example, products reached more than 250,000 people every week.
“The programme is huge for us,” says Sonja Green, Head of Gifts in Kind (GIK) & Recycling at Barnardo’s.
“The income we make from Amazon donations can be put to where it’s needed the most – for example, with this extra income we’ve been able to set up a helpline for people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and coming over to the UK.”
Sellers might even get a tax relief benefit too.
Amazon provides all participants with a donation certificate at the end of each year detailing all the inventory you’ve sent to charity – so if you’re thinking of taking part, you should speak to your tax advisors to see if this might entitle your brand to benefits.
Useful links
- Amazon Article “More than 15 million Amazon products donated to charity over the last 12 months”
- Amazon Article “How Amazon resells, recycles or donates unsold products”
The Climate Pledge Friendly Programme
If your products are ethical and/or sustainable already, or if you’re planning to make them more so, then looking to qualify for Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly programme is both a fantastic aspiration AND a great way to entice shoppers wanting to make conscious choices.
As we discussed in our mini-blog way back in March 2023, qualifying for the Climate Pledge Friendly badge means that you’ve achieved a good standard of sustainability for your qualifying product – either through compact packaging or by gaining a reputable external eco-certification.
And giving back with a brand commitment to the natural world can bring welcome secondary benefits too, in the form of boosted sales and margin potential – here’s just a few interesting study stats:
- 35% of online shoppers told Empathy.co that they “would only associate with responsible brands”.
- 66% of survey participants told Nielsen they would “pay a premium for goods sold by sustainable brands”.
- 74% of customers told Trivium Packaging that they would pay more for sustainable packaging.
So there are still ways your brand can make a positive difference – and build customer trust and brand reputation in the process!
If you’d like to speak to our experts about implementing your own “give back” initiatives on Amazon, get in touch today.