AMEX Is Matching Your Donations 10:1 Today. And, I’m Matching Their Match!

Today is Giving Tuesday, an informal “holiday” that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday to encourage a bit of charitable giving to go with all those purchases you may have made the past few days.  There’s an opportunity to help today that can be done with your Membership Rewards points or cash.

American Express sent me a note that they’re matching donations 10:1 to Feeding America today.  Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks.  In the midst of the pandemic, food banks are a critical source of nutrition for families where someone may have lost a job and can’t afford healthy meals for their children.  I’ve never donated to Feeding America before, though I have participated with various food banks around the country.  We generally focus on cancer advocacy and research, but a 10:1 match today is too hard to pass up.

Link to Donate

a person holding a pile of tomatoes

The good thing is that you can donate cash or your Membership Rewards points.  And, I just did that.  So far, there are approximately $230,000 in donations that AMEX is matching.  That’s a long way to go to get to $1 million dollars by the end of the day.  I need your help spreading the word.  Retweet, share on Facebook, whatever works.  Let’s help feed some families together.

And, If You’re In The Mood To Donate….

I’ve already donated 8,000 points to get started.  I’ll match up to 50,000 points worth of cash or Membership Rewards donations from folks today.  And, American Express will still match both of our contributions 10:1.  So, take my points (for a good cause)!

a screenshot of a donation form

American Express Supporting Small Business

American Express also sent me information about a new offer they have to support small businesses.  They have a Shop Small portal dedicated to some holiday gift ideas from small businesses.  I haven’t vetted any of the products, so I can’t speak for the quality or value.  American Express appears to be offering you between 1.3 and 1.4 cents in value when redeeming your Membership Rewards points via this portal.  That’s not horrible.  I generally look to get 2 cents or better when redeeming, but this could make sense for some folks if you’ve managed to build up your points balance while not traveling this year.

The Final Two Pennies

I love the 10:1 match here to help feed people during the holidays.  And, I’m putting my money, er, points where my mouth is.  I hope to see folks donating today to help someone in need.  The pandemic has hurt many regular folks right now.  Those stories, the ones of people losing their jobs and not being able to afford groceries, aren’t the ones we often hear about in the news.  I’ve seen how much a few dollars in donations to a food bank can help a family.  Take 1,000 points out of your Membership Rewards account and make a donation today.  You won’t miss it, and it’ll help someone eat a good meal during the holidays.

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18 Comments

  1. Oof at that point redemption ratio! I’d recommend anyone who wants to donate points that has the Amex Schwab Plat to donate cash and then cash out that amount of points. E.g. if you want to give $100 in points (15k-ish MR), donate $187.50 in cash and then cash out 15k to the Schwab account ($187.50).

    1. Yeah, I may make a cash donation and keep my points, not sure. But, I wanted people to understand they could do both. And, most folks wouldn’t miss 1,000 points if they chose to help out real quick today. I’m not familiar with the AMEX Schwab card. I need to look at it.

          1. A close reading of the terms on that website indicates only points-funded donations are matched 10x. Perhaps the cash donations are matched as well, but I don’t see any language confirming it.

  2. Sounds like a great idea. But maybe I am missing something. Is there a link to go thru to donate the points and get your match to trigger? I’m probably overlooking it, but I can’t figure out how to do it. Sorry.

    1. James, link above the first image. I just made it more prominent. Just send me a screenshot of your donation and I’ll match. Block out any personal details. Tweet or email ed -at- pizzainmotion.

        1. James, you have to get all the way to the final screen, past where you key in your credit card number. Then, there’s a screen that asks you how many points you want to apply to your donation amount. LMK if you need a screenshot.

  3. Although I support Arlington Food Assistance Center locally, I’ve been thinking about how the need is great outside of our affluent area. Your post triggered me to make two small food bank donations at random non DC locations. I sent $50 to the San Antonio Food Bank and $50 to Despensa De La Paz Food Pantry (Friedens Community Ministries) in Milwaukee.

    1. Ed, I’m with you. I even logged into my Amex account to try to give that way but the “Donate” link took me straight to Blackbaud. Oof.

  4. It says pretty clearly on the website that only donations with points are matched at 10x:

    At the bottom:
    “After an Eligible Card Member, as defined in the Program Terms for using Membership Rewards Points for JustGiving, uses Membership Rewards® points towards a donation to Feeding America through JustGiving, American Express will match 10x the dollar amount of each donation, up to $1,000,000 in total donations.”

    At the top:
    “When you use Membership Rewards® points towards a donation to Feeding America, American Express will make a 10x match for the dollar amount of each donation (for example, if you donate $100, American Express matches with $1,000) – up to $1,000,000 in total donation matches.

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