The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound is delighted to invite your support once again for nonprofits across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties from November 11 through November 22, 2024. The Community Foundation’s popular Give Local two-week online giving initiative makes it easy for donors to help participating nonprofits that are caring for our communities. These nonprofits provide meals, winter clothes, children’s books, medicine, shelter, solar panels, healthy lands and rivers, music, art, and more.
The Community Foundation believes that igniting generosity means nonprofits of every size can flourish, and a healthy community rises. This year, the Foundation is using new Mightycause donation software to streamline the process and make it especially simple to give.
“We’re making it easy to find causes that match donor interests,” says Mary Lam-Witcher, the Community Foundation’s philanthropy and communications officer. “Mightycause provides advanced search filters that allow individuals to narrow down the long nonprofit list, among other improvements, such as making it easier to spot when a matching grant from an organization’s is active.”
On November 11, the event goes live on the Give Local webpage, providing additional instructions for how to give back to your community.
Participate in Community Philanthropy With Give Local’s Online Donation Platform and Giving Options
The Community Foundation is an independent public charity that stewards philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to local nonprofits through efforts like Give Local.
The eighth annual Give Local online event celebrates the community. In 2023, Give Local raised $939,938 for 134 nonprofits, totaling $3.9 million to date. This year, more than 130 nonprofits are participating, to raise funds for their work and connect with community members who champion their cause.
In addition to online gifts, the Community Foundation provides other ways to donate through stock gifts, qualified charitable contributions from retirement accounts, and distributions from donor advised funds, which must be received by 5 p.m. on November 22. Donors making gifts on Wednesday, November 13, and November 20 will be entered into Giving Wednesday drawings to win $100 for a participating nonprofit of their choice. Five winners will be randomly selected each week and notified directly by Community Foundation staff to help direct their prize. Gifts made anonymously will not qualify for the drawings.
And, the $100,000 bonus fund seeded by the Dawkins Charitable Trust will give a proportional boost to every dollar raised, making each gift even more impactful. In 2023, 84% of gifts were $200 or less.
South Sound YMCA and Hands On Personal Empowerment Garden Project Benefit From ‘Give Local’
Two of the 130+ participating area nonprofits are South Sound YMCA in Olympia and Shelton, and Hands On Personal Empowerment (HOPE) Garden Project serving Mason County.
South Sound YMCA Executive Director of Advancement Sarah Clinton says Give Local provides an opportunity to show what nonprofits’ programs like those at the YMCA do for the community. The YMCA also uses Give Local to highlight its long-time supporters like Joseph Michel. Michel sadly passed away this year and had built community connections as a long-time member and volunteer. “He impacted countless people in our community,” says Clinton. “He started our adult swim program and taught swim lessons. He wanted people to be safe around water and learn to swim.”
“The Y is really about creating a sense of belonging in our community, so we use Give Local to explain what it means to belong and show the programs that do that,” Clinton adds. “And Joe did that.”
Hands On Personal Empowerment Garden Project Executive Director Caroline Fidanzato agrees that Give Local shines a light on nonprofit programs serving the community’s needs. “The biggest thing we are trying for is community support and connection with like-minded individuals,” she says.
They use an agricultural modality so Mason County youth can become empowered, productive community members through teaching job skills, leadership, communication, social justice and nutrition. Donations to HOPE Garden Project help fund summer stipends for students tending the gardens. “For us, we are such a small grassroots organization that anything makes a difference,” says Fidanzato.
Giving Trends Show It’s Critical to Support Local Nonprofits in November
Nonprofits need year-round support to sustain their communities. But giving trends data shows that nonprofit donor numbers are down nationwide. And the November election presents extra challenges. You might think that political campaigns’ focus on the importance of making contributions to causes and candidates will benefit nonprofits as well. But Lam-Witcher says that’s not the case.
“The reality is very different,” she says. Data shows that “donor fatigue” experienced by some voters feeling saturated with political ads and contribution requests can negatively impact nonprofits’ fundraising. Nonprofits must take extra steps to ensure their messages are not lost in political campaign noise.
“Nonprofits have to work hard at their messaging to support nonprofits in the community,” Lam-Witcher adds. Luckily, this year the November election date ends before Give Local begins, providing a breathing space for the community to re-set and support its nonprofits. You can help area nonprofits November 11 through November 22 on the Give Local website.
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