LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A national program that supported nonprofits is shutting down, leaving some Louisville-area nonprofits searching for new ways to replace the funding.

Amazon launched AmazonSmile in 2013, contributing 0.5% of every purchase made by participating customers to the charity of their choosing. As of 2022, the company said it has donated $449 million to various charities.

The e-commerce giant announced earlier this month its plans to shut down the donation program by Feb. 20. The company said in a blog post the program had "not grown to create the impact" it had hoped.

YouthBuild Louisville registered on the Amazon Smile program. The nonprofit educates and trains around 1,800 low-income young adults every year to help them realize their potential.

AMAZON SMILES CLOSING

Lynn Rippy, CEO of YouthBuild Louisville, speaks to WDRB News on Jan. 31, 2023.

The nonprofit's CEO Lynn Rippy said the organization raises around $4 million a year to meet its annual budget. With the potential loss of donations due to the cancellation of the program, the nonprofit is encouraging people to donate money in other ways.

"It's important that every penny that we bring in is in place for young people, and if we lose some that we have to go fund that, that space to be able to continue to offer that service to young people," Rippy said.

Amazon said the decision to end the program was part of a strategic shift to support initiatives that work on a larger scale.

"It made me wonder, what the strategy was behind it and if it was purely economical, or maybe it's just too much on the backside for them to manage, I don't know," Rippy said.

Amazon said the international program didn't have the impact it thought it would. Rippy calls it a loss "in more than one way" for nonprofits.

Many nonprofits had promoted AmazonSmile in their own fundraising appeals because the program provided them with a passive revenue stream from Amazon customers.

"I think that's the bigger loss maybe then the cash is being able to recognize that every time someone goes out and swipes their Amazon card or puts an order in, that's coming back to them on their receipt and they realize that they're supporting us," Rippy said.

YouthBuild Louisville uses their Amazon Smile donations to purchase snacks for their students.

Derek Truesdell, a former student of the program who is now an employee for the nonprofit, believes Youth Build is impactful.

"It's really nice to see people that come from nothing or dropped out of school and haven't gone to school for several years," Truesdell said. "Come here for a couple months and then they've literally built what helps them with getting their GED and stuff."

He is one of around 50 workers at YouthBuild Louisville. The team is working to find other ways to encourage donations.

"The more touches you make to a donor, the more likely they are to give," Rippy said.

To donate to YouthBuild, click here.

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