By Kimberly Paulk, SHARECharlotte.com, a free, easy and local website that makes it easy to learn about and engage with our local nonprofits.
A while back Gallup released a poll revealing that Americans’ favorite late fall/early winter holiday was – wait for it – Christmas. They could have saved a lot of time and phone calls and just asked any SmartyMom that question. Also in the running were Thanksgiving (which came in second) and New Year’s (a distant third).
The holiday they left out, of course, was #GivingTuesdayCLT. That’s understandable because it’s only been around four years, but even in that short time it’s quickly become one of my favorites.
While it’s not technically a holiday #GivingTuesdayCLT kicks off the giving season here in Charlotte. It’s part of the global Giving Tuesday movement and it allows us all to step back from the rush of holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday and just…give.
This year the campaign extends from now until December 1st and local nonprofits (108 of them!) have joined together to raise $2 million for the Charlotte community. The best part? There are tons of ways to get your whole family involved in making Charlotte even more awesome. Here are five ideas to get you started.
Give Money – It’s not a surprise that nonprofits can always use funds. Whether it’s a lot or a little, each and every donation is important. This year it’s easy to give directly to your favorite nonprofit (you can see all 108 here). They will all also be eligible for a portion of a $50,000 matching funds grant, so your donation will do even more good! Can’t pick just one? Give to the general fund, which will be divided equally between all participating organizations.
Give Time – How much time would your family like to give back to Charlotte in 2016? It’s a great dinner table conversation to start with the kids, then go to the community-wide ticker on the #GivingTuesdayCLT website. Enter your number and you’ll see your family’s commitment join in with the rest of hours pledged by the community. It’s fun to watch the number keep moving up!
Give gifts – This is my favorite part, because it involves shopping. Nonprofits need stuff to keep doing their great work and this year it’s really easy to shop and ship all in one place. Just flip through the website to find a nonprofit or cause you love, click on “Give Gifts” for any nonprofit that offers the option and shop!
Catch a game. Bring the family to the Checkers game on 11/25! Use this link to buy your ticket (use passcode: sharecharlotte) and the Checkers will donate $5 per ticket to the #GivingTuesdayCLT general fund.
Come celebrate with us. We’ll be at Heist Brewery on Tuesday, December 1 from 5pm – 9pm for a family-friendly celebration to wrap up of the #GivingTuesdayCLT season. We’ll have fun, food and music on tap, and you never know who else might show up!
