Alexa users can now donate to more than 40 charities using their voice

The skill, called Alexa Donations, requires no set-up. Users can simply ask Alexa to “make a donation to St. Jude,” or whichever charity they’d like to support, to kickstart the process. St. Jude, The American Cancer Society, Feeding America, Comic Relief and the Wounded Warrior Project are just a few of the charities on the list.

"We're thrilled to launch Alexa Donations to millions of Alexa customers this year," said Patrick Gauthier, vice president of Amazon Pay, in a statement. “For the first time ever, Alexa customers can donate to charities like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hands-free using just their voice. We can't wait for customers to try this out while donating to great causes like this.”

Richard Shadyac Jr., president and chief executive of St. Jude’s fundraising and awareness organization, added: "We are incredibly grateful to Amazon and its generous customers who will harness the power of voice technology in support of the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Every dollar donated through Alexa Donations will help fuel the groundbreaking research and pioneering treatment at St. Jude that are increasing survival rates and making a difference in the lives of countless children and their families.”

The launch of Alexa Donations complements AmazonSmile, a charitable website launched by the company in 2013. When shoppers buy products from AmazonSmile, which carries the same products as Amazon, the e-commerce giant donates 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to a charity of the buyer’s choosing.

According to St. Jude, the AmazonSmile program has resulted in more than $4.6 million for the hospital to date.