COVID-19: Amazon plans to raise Rs 100-cr in match-funding with 4 NGOs

Online retail major Amazon India has tied up with four non-profits -- Habitat for Humanity India, Oxfam India, United Way India and Akshaya Patra -- to help raise at least Rs 100 crore to help fight deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

The Amazon offer is to collect donations from the users of its media vertical Prime and other customers and match their contributions with its own.

"Our target is to contribute at least Rs 100 crore to the government," an Amazon India spokesperson told PTI.

The company is now offering Indian customers and our over 65,000 employees to join them in its efforts to support those in need, and are providing a quick and easy way to contribute towards the Prime Minister's relief fund or help its NGO partners -- Oxfam India, United Way, Habitat for Humanity and Akshaya Patra -- with contributions.

"We will donate 10 per cent on top of the amount donated by our customers and will match the employee donations. We hope to collect Rs 100 crore to help those in need in these challenging times," Amazon said.

The e-commerce major refused to share more details like the number of Prime customers in India, saying as a policy they don't offer country-specific numbers, or how much so far they have collected in donations from its customers/users.

When contacted, Habitat for Humanity India said till date, the not-for- profit has distributed around 35,200 hygiene and family essential kits and served over 1,50,000 individuals in Maharashtra, Delhi, Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu with support from local government administrations and state agencies.

The domestic arm of the American NGO is primarily into housing but has been sensitising and raising awareness on the importance of hygiene and sanitation since the lockdown began and supporting the needy with eatables and hygiene kits.

"As part of fund-raising we've partnered with Amazon India in a 100 per cent match-funding initiative to provide essentials to families impacted by the pandemic-induced lockdown," Rajan Samuel, the managing director of Habitat for Humanity India said.

For every donation made by its Prime members to Habitat as part of the initiative, a 100 per cent equal contribution will be matched by Amazon, while donations made by non-members will be matched by a 10 per cent contribution by the e-talier, he added.