12/8/2020

ALPENA – In its sixth year of providing the platform for local nonprofits to participate in the global Giving Tuesday movement, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) helped 50 nonprofit organizations to raise a grand total of $233,653 on December 1.

“In what truly is a year like no other, our communities came together in support of our local nonprofits to help them in a huge way,” said CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “Honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect for 2020 in such a tough year, and with ten fewer participating nonprofits than the last few years. Eclipsing last year’s total by more than $16,000 is a huge win for these organizations and our communities.”

Giving Tuesday follows the widely recognized shopping events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, offering a dedicated day for charitable giving as the holiday season kicks off. The hope for this worldwide movement is that people will set aside a few minutes, and perhaps some shopping money, to give back to their community through the charities and causes they support.

Fifty nonprofits from Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Presque Isle Counties participated in the event through the Community Foundation and its three affiliate foundations, which provided the online platform, marketing tools and all recording efforts, free of charge to the participating organizations. Every penny of each donation received is going directly to the organization chosen by the donor.

The Community Foundation held a virtual Zoom and Facebook Live event on December 8 to announce the final totals, and totals raised for each individual organization. While anyone observing the Foundation’s website on Giving Tuesday saw the gift counter stop at just above $102,000, the final totals include donations to all participants and the Community Foundation’s funds on Giving Tuesday, as well as walk-in donations.

“Every year we have looked forward to announcing, in person, our totals and the winner of our Giving Tuesday Golden Goose. Obviously, this year that event had to take place in a different way,” said Heraghty. “It was incredible to see the excitement of our participants and the greater community as the announcements were made. It’s the silver lining that community members could join us virtually this year, and in this way.”

Grant, the Giving Tuesday Golden Goose, who was unveiled in 2017, was presented to Boys and Girls Club of Alpena for raising the most funds ($24,905) during the 24-hour giving event. Funds raised on Giving Tuesday will help the organization with its programming needs and services, as well as some funds being raised toward its capital campaign for its new building. Grant will spend his year representing Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, and will move in 2022 to the nonprofit that raises the most funds during Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan next year.

“Every donation received on behalf of these great organizations this week is a success story; of generosity and caring in northeast Michigan,” said Heraghty. “Seeing people show up in such a huge way to support the nonprofits doing incredible work in northeast Michigan is something each person, no matter the size of the gift, should take pride in knowing they’ve made a difference in their community.”

Heraghty also noted that, as has been true the last couple of years, the Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan movement has a ripple effect, with many organizations reporting donations given prior to and after the event, all in the spirit of Giving Tuesday. Those totals are not included in CFNEM’s overall count, but Heraghty says the number easily eclipses an additional $30,000.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Its three affiliate foundations include Iosco County Community Foundation, North Central Michigan Community Foundation, and Straits Area Community Foundation. Led by a volunteer board of local citizens, the foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for students and local community nonprofits now and forever.

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