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Tomorrow marks the day to spend some of your holiday dollars giving back.
We may have had a far longer history of the shopping sales phenomenon known as Black Friday, but the newer additions of a Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday are much more recent.
Giving Tuesday got its start in 2012, with a simple goal of encouraging others “to do good.” The nonprofit which now coordinates and promotes such efforts, GivingTuesday.org said that the concept was really “born and incubated” in New York City. The agency credits a 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact with the idea that now issue used to inspire a global movement.
Designated as the Tuesday after Thanksgiving Thursday each year, the date will fall on Tuesday, Dec. 3. While the world is full of plenty of worthy organizations, one University of Chicago Booth School of Business study said donors are often encouraged to give when they can see the result of their dollars improving the local community. Great Nonprofits said that the money even grows when it is donated locally.
“For every $1 donated, the public receives about $3 in benefits,” said a 2021 study on the organization’s website. “Charitable giving has a ripple effect that impacts local economies in communities across the United States.”
If you’re hoping to give a bit back to a charity near and dear to your heart, why not find one that fits the bill in your own back yard? Here are some nonprofits that are a part of your local community.
A local non-profit organization to serve as a support and fundraising arm for the Abington Township Police community projects, CAPT has worked since 1992 to bring together the leadership, community organizations, schools, businesses, and hospitals in order to serve the area through mini grants, a youth aid panel, and programs such as Police Explorers or the Community Partnership of Youth and Adults.
Based in Jenkintown, this nonprofit aims to elevate patients’ voices, allowing them to have a role in their own health care, concerns with medical care, experiences, and decision-making. The organization continually seeks donations of a financial variety, but also for volunteers who may want to provide time as their form of giving.
Since 2001, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has worked to offer services for families fighting a childhood cancer in the Delaware Valley. Having worked with over 3,000 families, the Kisses for Kyle team, which is based in Willow Grove, has organized more than 40 programs, services, and special family events to ease the process for those impacted by this devastating condition. One-time or monthly donations can be made right on the website.
There may be no more deserving of an organization for your giving than those that protect your lives directly! Reach out to your local fire company in your neighborhood to find out how to donate. If you are a resident of Rockledge Borough, your aid can benefit the RVFC, which since 1903 has been a volunteering to keep life, property, and the environment of the borough protected. If you are unable to donate finances, you can also always add to the always-needed volunteer efforts with the company.
Aimed at supporting activities for its own residents, DGF promotes civic engagement, promotes local arts and culture, and helps to develop initiatives to promote the economic vitality of Glenside. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit all donations are tax deductible, and will support the programs to “promote a vibrant and diversified community.”
This list is in no way intended to be the only nonprofits in the local area, but instead is aimed to give you some ideas on how you can become involved in Giving Tuesday right in your own backyard.
