Small Donations Can Have a Big Impact: Amazon Smile and Giving Assistant

30 Nov Small Donations Can Have a Big Impact: Amazon Smile and Giving Assistant

Several years ago, a $6,000 gift to PERF led to the purchase of an oximeter, which led to the discovery of the value of pursed lip breathing. It is really unbelievable how, in the world of research, such a comparatively small gift led to information of value to the whole world, and triggered all sorts of other information on the value of exercise and oxygen, among other things.

Thanks to the generosity of PERF’s supporters, we were able to raise $10,000 last summer for needed new equipment, among which was another newer and more specialized oximeter. You never know whether your gift may lead to another discovery of worldwide impact. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who donated to that drive, whether your gift was $5 or $500 or more. Truly, every amount has an impact beyond what you may ever imagine.

PERF has now registered with two new programs that make it possible for you to donate to the important research that our medical staff at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LABioMed) conducts all year long, without actually digging into your own pocket for the funds we will receive. Both programs allow you to shop online for products as you normally do, with the only difference being that a small portion of your purchase price is donated by the shopping portal to a charity of your choice. These programs cost the user nothing; the donations are made by the shopping portal or merchants who participate. Following are the two programs you can use to turn your online shopping into a cost-free opportunity to donate to PERF.

AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same prices, selection, and shopping experience as at amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support, including PERF.

If you’ve already shopped on Amazon.com, then switching to AmazonSmile will be a breeze. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know: same products, same prices, same service. The only difference between the two sites is that instead of logging in at https://amazon.com, you log in instead at https://smile.amazon.com. There you choose a charity. Look for the Foundation For Pulmonary Education And Research. Then shop as usual. Your shopping will automatically generate a donation to PERF.

Giving Assistant

Giving Assistant is a shopping portal where you can purchase products from nearly 3,000 stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, World Market, JC Penney, Vitacost, Express, Loft, The Vitamin Shoppe, Walmart, Home Depot and Macy’s, to name but a few. All of the merchants on the site offer cash back to their online customers. At the site, you can apply coupon codes at checkout, and then either keep the cash back that you’ve earned, or donate all or part of that cash-back amount to a charity of your choice. Log in at https://givingassistant.org, and choose a charity to receive the donations that you generate. Look for the Foundation For Pulmonary Education And Research. Then shop as usual. Your shopping will automatically generate a donation to PERF.