Online shopping giant Amazon announced Thursday that it will be shutting down its charity program, AmazonSmile, claiming the project had “not grown to create the impact” it anticipated when it launched a decade ago. The program donated a small percentage of purchases made toward more than a million eligible charities, including the American Cancer Society and Meals on Wheels, totaling some $449 million over the last 10 years, according to a former AmazonSmile employee. The company cited its massive charity list as a reason for its low impact, claiming the money was “often spread too thin.” Associated charities will recieve a severance-like “one-time donation equivalent” to three months worth of their earnings last year, the company said in a blog post. The site will close down for good on Feb. 20, according to Amazon, adding that it will instead refocus its charity efforts on continuing efforts like its affordable housing project, the Housing Equity Fund, and its natural disaster aid, Amazon Disaster Relief. The measure comes as Amazon plans to lay off 18,000 workers around the world.
