By Hannah Amos

The American Legion Auxiliary’s partnership with SmileAssociate is providing all ALA entities a new and easy fundraising opportunity via Amazon shopping.

Through a unique link, supporters can generate donations as they do their Amazon shopping spree, with no additional cost or change to the shopping experience. 

Donations can be generated 24/7 throughout the year from anywhere, making this a perfect passive, low-effort fundraising opportunity.  


Support your favorite ALA entity while you shop 

To make the process even easier, ALA departments, districts, units, and ALA Girls State programs already have their own dedicated pages set up at www.smileassociate.com/alanational. 

How it works:

1. Visit the ALA SmileAssociate directory. 
2. Locate your department, district, unit, or ALA Girls State program. 
3. Click “Shop.” 
4. Complete purchases on Amazon as usual. 
5. Eligible purchases generate donations automatically. 

 
When supporters shop on Amazon through your ALA entity’s SmileAssociate link, eligible purchases generate a commission from Amazon. On average, SmileAssociate earns approximately 3% back from Amazon purchases, though that percentage can be higher for certain luxury and digital items. SmileAssociate then shares that commission 50/50 with the American Legion Auxiliary. From the Auxiliary’s portion, 5% supports the Spirit of Youth Scholarship Fund at ALA National Headquarters, while the remaining 95% is distributed directly to participating ALA entities based on purchases generated through their unique links. 

For example, if supporters generate $10,000 in eligible Amazon purchases during a quarter, the average commission earned would be approximately $300. SmileAssociate retains $150, and the remaining $150 is distributed between ALA National Headquarters and the participating ALA entity. In this example, the entity would receive approximately $142.50. Payments are made quarterly via ACH and include full summary reporting for transparency.

This fundraising opportunity will not replace traditional efforts, but it will provide an additional revenue stream without diverting attention from the causes that matter to you. 

Generated funds can be used to aid in veteran outreach, youth programs, scholarships, community service projects, general operations, and so much more.

ALA leaders: get your entity started 

How does your ALA entity get started? Remember: ALA departments, districts, units, and ALA Girls State programs have their pages set up:

1. Visit www.smileassociate.com/alanational.
2. Locate your entity.
3. Complete the secure ACH authorization form on the website.
4. Start promoting your link. 

You’re not in this alone — National Headquarters is here to help and support!  On June 9 from noon to 1 p.m. ET, an ALA Academy LIVE webinar will be held to explain more about the program and answer any questions you may have.

To learn more and register for the ALA Academy course, go here. 

All ALA Academy webinars are recorded, so don’t worry if you can’t make it. Just go to www.ALAforVeterans.org/ala-academy to see the recorded course. 

To help spread the word on the program, ALA National Headquarters will promote via ALA eNews, Auxiliary magazine, and social media @ALAforVeterans. Feel free to use these channels to help inform your fellow ALA members and your community.

Here are some tips for success:

• Add the link to your website.
• Include it in newsletters and emails.
• Share on social media.
• Mention it at meetings and events.
• Encourage members to use the link consistently. 

For any questions or additional support, contact the ALA National Headquarters’ Development Division at development@ALAforVeterans.org or (317) 569-4537.  

Be a trendsetter in your ALA unit and lead by example by sharing and participating in the SmileAssociate program. Every Amazon purchase can now support the ALA entity you care about most.