Help Northeast Michigan Nonprofits Join in Giving Tuesday Movement
$45.7 million was raised on Giving Tuesday in 2014 from individuals and businesses “across the globe united for one purpose—to celebrate giving.” The Community Foundation urges those thankful to local nonprofits striving to meet the needs of communities in northeast Michigan to show their appreciation and support by giving back on Giving Tuesday.
“As we move into the holiday season, we hope those living in northeast Michigan recognize that this is the time of year when the greatest demands are placed upon our local charitable organizations,” said Barbara Frantz, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM). To help raise awareness and support those organizations who work year round to improve the quality of life for our families, friends, neighbors and pets, the Community Foundation will help local nonprofits participate in Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015.
Now in its fourth year, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.), it follows the widely recognized shopping events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to kick-off the holiday giving season. The hope is that people will set aside a few minutes from holiday shopping to give back to their community through the charities and causes they support.
To help local nonprofits participate in Giving Tuesday, CFNEM will provide the technical infrastructure through its website and social media to showcase and manage donations for the first 25 nonprofits that register (and meet IRS tax requirements to operate as a nonprofit). Donors will be able to visit www.cfnem.org on Giving Tuesday and make donations to any or all of these 25 nonprofits.
“I think it’s wonderful that the Community Foundation is taking the lead on this opportunity. Local nonprofits like the Children’s Advocacy Center don’t have the resources to run an online fundraising campaign at the end of the year, but really need the financial support,” said Kellie Sefernick, Program Coordinator for the Children’s Advocacy Center for Northeast Michigan. “I really hope the community will step up to make this a huge success,” Sefernick added.
In addition to the four-county area that CFNEM serves, it also is the administrative arm for three other foundations covering a five-county area. Each foundation will have a separate campaign set up on their websites and be open to the first 25 nonprofits that register as well. Affiliate sites include: Iosco County Community Foundation (www.iccf-online.org); North Central Michigan Community Foundation (www.ncmcf.org); Straits Area Community Foundation (www.sacf.net).
Beginning at 12:00 a.m. on December 1 and for the next 24-hours, individuals and businesses throughout northeast Michigan will have a unique opportunity to support local nonprofits of their choice that are participating in the event. The public will be able to monitor online the total amount donated throughout the day. The total amount donated to each organization will be announced the following morning with participating nonprofits at the Community Foundation headquarters. CFNEM will ensure donations are tracked, acknowledged and allocated as designated by donors.
“Those nonprofits that effectively rally their supporters, in addition to CFNEM’s regional outreach, stand to benefit the most,” emphasized Frantz. While CFNEM will provide a strong website and social media presence, administration and a secure donor interface for each nonprofit, participating nonprofits are encouraged to start promoting GivingTuesday among their supporters as early and enthusiastically as possible.
In 2014, Giving Tuesday brought together 30,000 partners in 68 countries and registered 32.7 million impressions on Twitter, with its hashtag mentioned 698,600 times. Since 2012, online giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has increased more than four-fold, based on findings by Blackbaud and the Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, produced in partnership with the Case Foundation.[1]
To help spread the word about northeast Michigan’s participation in Giving Tuesday and join in the celebration of giving, please visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan
Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTuesdayNEMI or follow #GivingTuesdayNEMI
For more details about the global #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.
About the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan
The Community Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to making it as easy as possible for those who want to make lasting contributions to their community to do so. CFNEM is committed to building the capacity of nonprofits in northeast Michigan through fostering partnerships and administering funds. CFNEM also manages endowments throughout a nine-county service area. Over time, endowed funds are returned to donor-designated communities in the form of grants and scholarships. In essence, each contribution is a legacy to future generations because the income is distributed year after year for generations to come.
About Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. 92Y, a cultural center in New York City since 1874, conceptualized Giving Tuesday as a new way of linking individuals and causes to strengthen communities and encourage giving. The goal is to inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to charities and causes they celebrate, and help create a better world. Giving Tuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a global movement dedicated to giving around the world.
1. Case Foundation: http://casefoundation.org/blog/givingtuesday-moves-campaign-tradition/
