Amazon to donate 0.5% of my purchases to the Watchtower

[jidcman]

Dear XXXXXX XXXXXXX,

Amazon will now donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases when you shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com). We will reach out to Watchtower Bible And Tract Society Of New York Inc to ensure it is ready to accept donations from Amazon.

Amazon smile is the same Amazon.com,  same prices, same stuff.  Is just a way of supporting a charity of your choice every time you buy something from amazon. 

You just have to make sure you use smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com

Please let all brothers and sisters that you know, that buy stuff on Amazon.com on a regular basis.  This is another way we can support Jehovah's organization.

[ Note to self: Make sure you don't use this as an excuse to buy stuff that you don't need! ;-) ]

Amazon told me that they will contact the Watchtower to make sure they are ready to start receiving donations from them.

If I get a reply saying that the Watchtower decides to reject the donations coming from Amazon,  I will update this topic and ask a moderator to delete it.

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[jidcman]

Moderators, I'm seen duplicates, can you please delete and leave only one.

When I was posting it, it returned with an error saying that it wasn't able to connect with the server.

The third time it showed that the new topic was created successfully.

Thus why there are three of these right now....

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Edited June 26, 2014 by jidcman

[rocket]

Moderators, I'm seen duplicates, can you please delete and leave only one. When I was posting it, it returned with an error saying that it wasn't able to connect with the server. The third time it showed that the new topic was created successfully. Thus why there are three of these right now.... Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

That's one reason why it is best to be patient and click the reply button only once.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Hi Brother Julian,

 

I never heard of this "smile.amazon.com".

I wonder how our Organization will respond to this commercial company and its donations?

Please let us know.

[jidcman]

I wasn't replying, I was actually creating the new topic. Please keep in mind that I'm doing this from Tapatalk, on a mobile device.

As explained before, it returned with an error and then it kept me in the editing page, there was no impatience here , I actually did some paperwork and let the phone sit while it was supposedly creating the topic, only to find out there was an error message.

Anyhow, what do you guys think of this opportunity to donate more to Jehovah's organization?

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Edited June 26, 2014 by jidcman

[jidcman]

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[jidcman]

Hi Brother Julian,

I never heard of this "smile.amazon.com".

I wonder how our Organization will respond to this commercial company and its donations?

Please let us know.

I'm wondering the same, from my perspective, I don't see a conflict, but I'm not in charge and therefore my view of all aspects of accepting donations in this manner is limited.

I do buy stuff on amazon in a regular basis and would love to see even a small percentage of that money going to support our "society" I mean, Jehovah's organization :-) .

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Edited June 26, 2014 by jidcman

[jidcman]

About AmazonSmile:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/charity/about.html/ref=smi_se_uds_learn_saas

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[everyday]

I buy often from amazon! I'd love to help the organization, while shopping! So would others! Keep us posted...

[MizPeg]

Dear XXXXXX XXXXXXX,

Amazon will now donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases when you shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com). We will reach out to Watchtower Bible And Tract Society Of New York Inc to ensure it is ready to accept donations from Amazon.

Amazon smile is the same Amazon.com,  same prices, same stuff.  Is just a way of supporting a charity of your choice every time you buy something from amazon. 

You just have to make sure you use smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com

Please let all brothers and sisters that you know, that buy stuff on Amazon.com on a regular basis.  This is another way we can support Jehovah's organization.

[ Note to self: Make sure you don't use this as an excuse to buy stuff that you don't need! ;-) ]

Amazon told me that they will contact the Watchtower to make sure they are ready to start receiving donations from them.

If I get a reply saying that the Watchtower decides to reject the donations coming from Amazon,  I will update this topic and ask a moderator to delete it.

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I tried to sign in, but you should specify exactly what to type in the search window. I tried 2 different names.......no luck.

Bet Amazon got on the ball when they saw how many Witnesses were down-loading the jwlibrary pages. Way to go Amazon. Maybe some there will listen to a Witness, witnessing to them. 

[jidcman]

I tried to sign in, but you should specify exactly what to type in the search window. I tried 2 different names.......no luck.

Bet Amazon got on the ball when they saw how many Witnesses were down-loading the jwlibrary pages. Way to go Amazon. Maybe some there will listen to a Witness, witnessing to them.

I searched for "Watchtower" see attachment.

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[BlueBunni]

Awesome! I just started using Amazon Smile, I was just going to donate to childrens hospitals etc. 

[Bluebell]

I stick to the old fashion Contribution Box in our Kingdom Hall

or use the official ways Jehovah's Organization has provided for those

who wish to donate.

 

Don't need the combination of commerce and donation......

[posemeke]

Jidcman, i think the FDS may not support the idea of such medium. Remember the FDS has published in our magazines several times what ways contrbution can be send to support the Worldwide work not never mention through a shopping website. I think it is best we stick to that arrangement untill otherwise, so suggesting this in this forum i think is not ideal. Brothers we dont know who are always behind this forum, so we must then use our Bible trained conscience alongside with good discernmentnin this regard that is when Jehovah will bless our good work.

Please i dont know if i am making any sense, but i am always glad to be corrected. Thank you.

Bro. Peter

Nigeria.

Edited July 5, 2014 by posemeke

[jidcman]

I stick to the old fashion Contribution Box in our Kingdom Hall

or use the official ways Jehovah's Organization has provided for those

who wish to donate.

Don't need the combination of commerce and donation......

Hello sister Samira and everyone that sees this amazon charity support opportunity as a bad combination of commerce and donation, I didn't look at it that way, now I do and I agree with you.

I have and will continue to do it the old fashion way.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bl/r1/lp-e?q=1 corinthians16:2

It is clear to me that it is "Amazon" and "not me" donating a 0.5% of my purchases to the Watchtower.

Therefore, I have no plans to diminish the budgeted resources that me and my family donate to Jehovah's organization and their faithful servants.

At this moment, I haven't received any information from amazon stating that I need to select a different charity, therefore I still don't know if the Watchtower is accepting this donations or not, until then, I will keep them as my choice. The Watchtower is the only organization that I know, where donations are used properly and effectively.

Now to the reasons why I think this is a bad idea.

After reading some of the replies, I have been enlightened to see that this could turn into a marketing strategy that amazon uses to get more businesses and therefore be conflicting with our organization. Perhaps more brothers will do what I did and get excited about our organization getting more funds to further the Worldwide Work and construction of new Kingdom Halls and without even realizing it, start campaigning and be unpaid Amazon marketing agents, like me :-(

I could imagine brothers telling other brothers to get this from this seller instead of this other seller because this one supports our organization, not good.

I'm just not going to promote their business in the basis of being good for our organization. That's definitely not a good mixture.

With that being said, I'm sorry that I started this thread, it was not my intention to promote this company.

I love you all brothers and sisters.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=Psalm+133:1

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Edited July 6, 2014 by jidcman

[posemeke]

My broda i appreaciated your courage and your humilty. May Jehovah continue to exert his power in us so as to acconplish his will through the faithful and discreet slave.

[jidcman]

My broda i appreaciated your courage and your humilty. May Jehovah continue to exert his power in us so as to acconplish his will through the faithful and discreet slave.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005606

Paragraph 20:

20 What a joy it is to serve God along with a worldwide brotherhood that displays such love! Those who have the law of the Christ in their heart enjoy a priceless possession in this loveless world. Not only do they enjoy Jehovah’s love but they also delight in the strong bond of love in the brotherhood. “Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” Though Jehovah’s Witnesses reside in many nations, speak many tongues, and represent many cultures, they enjoy religious unity that is without equal. This unity brings Jehovah’s favor. Wrote the psalmist: “There [amid a people united in love] Jehovah commanded the blessing to be, even life to time indefinite.”—Psalm 133:1-3.

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[palmhat]

Hello sister Samira and everyone that sees this amazon charity support opportunity as a bad combination of commerce and donation, I didn't look at it that way, now I do and I agree with you.

I have and will continue to do it the old fashion way.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bl/r1/lp-e?q=1 corinthians16:2

It is clear to me that it is "Amazon" and "not me" donating a 0.5% of my purchases to the Watchtower.

Therefore, I have no plans to diminish the budgeted resources that me and my family donate to Jehovah's organization and their faithful servants.

At this moment, I haven't received any information from amazon stating that I need to select a different charity, therefore I still don't know if the Watchtower is accepting this donations or not, until then, I will keep them as my choice. The Watchtower is the only organization that I know, where donations are used properly and effectively.

Now to the reasons why I think this is a bad idea.

After reading some of the replies, I have been enlightened to see that this could turn into a marketing strategy that amazon uses to get more businesses and therefore be conflicting with our organization. Perhaps more brothers will do what I did and get excited about our organization getting more funds to further the Worldwide Work and construction of new Kingdom Halls and without even realizing it, start campaigning and be unpaid Amazon marketing agents, like me :-(

I could imagine brothers telling other brothers to get this from this seller instead of this other seller because this one supports our organization, not good.

I'm just not going to promote their business in the basis of being good for our organization. That's definitely not a good mixture.

With that being said, I'm sorry that I started this thread, it was not my intention to promote this company.

I love you all brothers and sisters.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=Psalm+133:1

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Brother Julian,

I personally  appreciate this thread. As you appropriately stated in your initial post, "[ Note to self: Make sure you don't use this as an excuse to buy stuff that you don't need! ;-) ]". In all things, balance is needed.

 

I stick to the old fashion Contribution Box in our Kingdom Hall

or use the official ways Jehovah's Organization has provided for those

who wish to donate.

 

Don't need the combination of commerce and donation......

 

This too is true. If we continue with our contributions as we have and this type of purchasing is not in conflict with the FS direction, why not? It is true we don't need the combination of commerce and donation. It must be said though, Amazon smile is not presented as a need. Nobody is requiring the use of this. Nor is it presented as a replacement for other official ways to contribute.

 

Many of us are already engaged in the combination of commerce and donation and the FS is not opposed to it. When one of our Kingdom Halls was being built, the hardware store I was employed at offered additional discounts towards the items purchased for that project. The discount was a donation. Nothing wrong with that, right? It helped our work. Was it wrong for the friends to support that store for that reason? I don't think so. I think it is a good idea to support Jehovah's work on every front possible as long as it remains within The Masters guidelines. Did that company benefit from making that decision? Absolutely! Was there anything wrong with the friends using that source first even though they might pay more for shopping there? I don't think so. I know many friends that will give preference to a business because a friend works there. That too can be seen as a combination of "commerce and donation".

 

Admittedly, the contribution is little. However, at Mark 12:41-44 Jesus pointed out that the little can be of great value.

 

 

Awesome! I just started using Amazon Smile, I was just going to donate to childrens hospitals etc. 

 

Really? I have to agree! I am so proud that Jehovah's people are so driven to help others. In the opinion of many, this redirect is done with wisdom. Children in hospitals do need help. Have you researched how much actually goes to the actual charity and how much covers exorbitant administration costs? On the flip side we know that the governing body does not have a lavish lifestyle and all the donation goes to the World Wide Work which in turn uses these funds in the best way possible to help our fellow man.

 

Thank you Julian, for informing us of this opportunity to further our cause. Please let us know when the branch has accepted the arrangement.

Edited July 12, 2014 by palmhat