As the holiday season ramps up, so does charitable giving. More donations are made at year end than any other time. As a boost to that effort, nonprofit organizations are increasingly participating in #Giving Tuesday, the annual event on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving -- Nov. 27 this year -- helping spotlight charitable causes and the spirit of giving.
What began just a few years ago to cut through the emphasis of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the now global event has national, statewide and local participation. Forefront, Illinois’ statewide association for nonprofits and grant makers, hosts its fifth annual #ILGive for #GivingTuesday event Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 12 a.m. -- 11:59 p.m. CST. The event is part of Forefront’s ongoing initiative to build capacity for nonprofits, grow the giving economy in Illinois, tear down the barriers to giving, and encourage ordinary people to advocate for their communities.
Forefront’s #ILGive.com campaign brings together hundreds of vetted Illinois nonprofits in one place. Through the #ILGive website (http://ilgive.com), donors can select causes that matters to them, learn about the work of individual nonprofits, and donate directly to charities. Forefront verifies that each participating organization is legally able to collect donations.
Through ILGive.com, supporters can search for local nonprofits by location and issue area. In November 2016, donors gave $11.3 million via online donations to nonprofits across Illinois. In all previous campaigns, over 25 percent of the #ILGive contributions came from first-time donors.
Closer to home, 18 Sangamon County nonprofits participated in 2016. The projected number of participants in 2017 is 32. For area nonprofits that wish to participate in 2018, contact Kathleen Murphy at Forefront ([email protected]).
Illinoisans can give to a cause that matters to them on Nov. 27 and help advance the movement by sharing news of their gift on social media tagged with the phrase #ILGive for #GivingTuesday.
