12/6/2021
ALPENA – In its seventh year of providing the platform for local nonprofits to participate in the global Giving Tuesday movement, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) helped 60 nonprofit organizations to raise a grand total of $365,387 on November 30.
“We are never quite sure what to expect with each year’s campaign,” said CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “One thing we never doubt is the generosity of our community. That generosity shined bright for this Giving Tuesday once again.”
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.
Sixty 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 Monday, December 6 (view it here) 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 $160,000, the final totals include donations to all participants and the Community Foundation’s funds on Giving Tuesday, as well as walk-in donations.
Grant, the Giving Tuesday Golden Goose, who was unveiled in 2017, was presented to Alpena Community College Foundation for raising the most funds ($39,105) during the 24-hour giving event. Funds raised on Giving Tuesday will help the organization with scholarships, emergency funds for students, food assistance, department support, and more. Grant will spend the upcoming year representing the ACC Foundation and will move in 2023 to the nonprofit that raises the most funds during Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan next year.
“One of the best things about this giving event is that there is a story of caring and compassion behind every single donation received,” said Heraghty. “It is great to see our community show up with such incredible support for the nonprofits tirelessly serving northeast Michigan. Everyone who donated, no matter the size of the gift, should take pride in knowing they are part of that.”
Heraghty also noted that, as has been true the last few years, the Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan movement has a ripple effect, with many organizations reporting donations given prior to and after the event, as well as some donations earning matching gifts that come in later, 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 $20,000.
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.
