How did Help for Heroes benefit from AmazonSmile?

We were very sad to see AmazonSmile close it's doors to all charities on 20 February 2023.

We’d like to say a big thank you to the more than 65,000 Amazon customers who chose to support Help for Heroes this way and raised over £171,600 since 2018.

In January 2023 alone, you made over 34,700 purchases and this had been growing steadily. As you can imagine this has left a big hole in our income.

What can you do next?

Please consider using other retailer donation schemes and choosing Help for Heroes. Donating while you shop is an easy way to support our veterans and at no extra cost to you.

Here are just some of the schemes and retailers available.

What was AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile was a website operated by Amazon. It featured the same products at the same prices as the standard Amazon site. The only difference was, when you shopped on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation donated 0.5% of the cost of all eligible products to your chosen charity.

Does AmazonSmile still exist?

AmazonSmile closed on 20 February 2023, and no longer exists. However, there are a few alternatives to AmazonSmile, such as Nectar Donate, so you can still donate while you shop! 

Why did AmazonSmile end?

AmazonSmile ended because Amazon thought that it had “not grown to create the impact” that they had hoped. However, as a charity, the impact that AmazonSmile had for us was massive, with over £171,600 raised since 2018.

How did AmazonSmile work?

AmazonSmile worked by donating 0.5% of the cost of all eligible products to a charity of your choice. This meant that you could simply donate while shopping, all at the same time.

How and why was Amazon Smile beneficial for charities?

AmazonSmile was very beneficial for charities, because it gave shoppers the option to donate for free while shopping. This meant that we would receive 0.5% of every eligible purchase that shoppers made on Amazon, and helped us massively by raising income for the veterans we support. 

How can I support Help for Heroes?

You can support us in many ways, from fundraising to volunteering, a monthly or single donation or even leaving us a gift in your will. If you'd rather donate while you shop, Nectar Donate is an AmazonSmile alternative. If you'd like to try your luck at winning £25,000 instead, our Heroes Lottery is another way to support us.

Why should I support Help for Heroes?

As the leading Armed Forces and veterans' charity in the UK, we understand the challenges people face when starting a new life after leaving the military. With your support, we can help veterans and their families live well after service. Don't just take our word for it though - you can read some incredible stories of the impact we've had on our veterans and their families.

Useful links