Nonprofit organizations consider Giving Tuesday very important to raising critical funds.
Georgia nonprofits, including many in Brookhaven, Buckhead, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, are participating in GAGives today, as part of the national Giving Tuesday campaign.
In 2020, participation in GAGives rose by 94% with more than 260,000 donations. Those donations raised almost $25 million last year.
“GA Gives on Giving Tuesday is important to local communities and their citizens because everyone lives their lives in nonprofits,” said Buckhead resident Karen Beavor, president and CEO of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. “You may not realize that, but consider that you may have adopted your pet at a nonprofit like PAWS; use a local park or enjoy a night out at a performing arts center; send your child to a nonprofit day care or sports league like YO at Chastain; or have a family member that benefited from nonprofit disease research or healthcare at a nonprofit like Grady. Nonprofits touch our lives in a myriad of ways, and we should support them.”
Members of the public can find nonprofits to support at the GAGives website.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to give back so that you can support our local nonprofits so that they can continue their work, especially now in the pandemic where everything has gotten to be exasperated,” Irene Schweiger, executive director of the Sandy Springs Education Force, told Reporter Newspapers.
She said nonprofits work to fill a void in the community, helping those in the most need.
“We always think about those around us less fortunate and all of that, but Giving Tuesday … kind of focuses that energy towards doing something actively to help those people,” said Francis Horton, CEO and president of the Community Assistance Center (CAC).
He said giving is important to the community because even though Sandy Springs is a relatively affluent place, a number of city residents live below the poverty line.
The stretch between Thanksgiving and the New Year is one of the most important times of year for organizations that depend upon donations. That’s because it helps nonprofits start the new year strong, said Dottie Head, executive director of the Georgia Audubon Society.
“We have a lot to be proud of, of these nonprofits here in Sandy Springs. It really, truly is the fabric of our community. It really is. And I just can’t say enough about all of them,” Schweiger said.
Sandy Springs Education Force
The Sandy Springs Education Force uses funds to help high school seniors at Riverwood and North Springs high schools pay for things, such as applications for technical schools, colleges or other post-secondary education.
“Some of these students, they have to decide, ‘Do I fill my car up, or their parent’s car up with gas?’ Because many of them don’t have their own cars. ‘Or do I go ahead and fill out an application for this technical school at this college?’” she said.
Community Assistance Center
Horton with the CAC said they focus their Giving Tuesday efforts on their adoptive family program, giving kids and families “a little bit of cheer this year.”
But, giving doesn’t end on Wednesday. One of Horton’s biggest fears throughout the pandemic was when it comes to an end, people will say they are glad it’s over. But there are still people who need help.
“We’ve still got people that had no margin before COVID. They still don’t have any margin,” he said.
Horton said he’s convinced that 99 percent of the people who come to CAC don’t want to have to ask for help with rent or go to the food pantry or thrift store.
“But they’re put in a place in life right now, where in order to provide for their family, that’s the option they have,” he said.
Georgia Audubon
One of the conservation nonprofit organizations that’s part of Giving Tuesday, the Georgia Audubon, has spent the past six years creating a model of bird-friendly habitat restoration at urban greenspaces such as Deepdene Park, Cascade Springs Nature Preserve and Friendship Forest. Work has expanded to state-managed lands such as Panola Mountain State Park, Jekyll Island, and to other public nature areas. In 2022, Georgia Audubon is expanding its bird-friendly restoration team to create healthier habitats.
“This Giving Tuesday, Georgia Audubon is raising funds to provide critical support for our new habitat restoration work and to allow us to continue offering bird-specific educational programs and community outreach to youth and adults alike all across the state,” Head said.
Latin American Association
Giving Tuesday has helped change the giving landscape for the Latin American Association (LAA) and expand its reach. Over the past three years, the LAA has been able to increase the number of donors during the Giving Tuesday campaign, said Jessica M. Martinez, director of development.
“Every donation received, no matter the amount, help us continue to fund the critical programs and services that the LAA does every day. From filing family petitions to English-language classes to providing food to families to youth mentorship – lives of fathers, mothers and children are transformed daily by the work of the LAA thanks to the support from our donors,” she said.
Some of the nonprofit organizations that are part of Giving Tuesday include:
- Keep North Fulton Beautiful
- Sandy Springs Youth Sports
- The Sandy Springs Society
- Sandy Springs Womans Club
- Dunwoody Preservation Trust
- Dunwoody Nature Center
- Dunwoody Mikvah Society
- Dunwoody Student Ministries
- Brookhaven Community Foundation
- Brookhaven Park Conservancy
- Brookhaven Police Foundation
- Los Vecinos De Buford Highway
- Back the Blue Buckhead
- Livable Buckhead
- Buckhead Heritage Society
- Buckhead Community Fellowship
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