So-called point-of-sale donations have sharply increased in recent years, bringing in hundreds of millions a year. But the requests to "round up" your bill for charity have really taken off.

Many growers across the country have been left without a market due to oversupplied apple processors. West Virginia rescued its surplus, with a plan that donates apples to hunger-fighting charities.

Jason Gerald Shenk of Dublin allegedly defrauded donors primarily from Ohio and North Carolina.

The company says the AmazonSmile program didn't have enough financial impact. But some charities say the support "made a huge difference," and shoppers have expressed disapproval on social media.

With traffic down at stores and malls across the nation during the pandemic, the charity's iconic red-kettle campaign might bring in half the donations compared with last year.