The Community Foundation is encouraging community members to embrace the spirit of giving on Tuesday, Nov. 28, “Giving Tuesday,” to support the work of our local nonprofits.

Giving Tuesday started as a day to encourage people to do good, and it has expanded into a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity, on one day, together.

This Giving Tuesday, check out our Wish List for ideas that are focused on local organizations offering support for basic needs and how you can help meet their needs in serving our community.

Our Wish List has more than 50 opportunities to give directly to 31 local nonprofit organizations in a variety of ways and dollar amounts that range from $300 – $1,000. You can use the Support a Wish button to give directly or, if you have a donor-advised fund, you can request a grant through that fund.

Last year, the power of giving together provided $17,000 of support to fulfill local wishes and brighten the holidays for local nonprofits and the community members who benefit from their services. Among the impacts made last year were:

• Healing Hearts Home had a month of rental expenses covered.
• Hope FM received a gift toward their emergency equipment needs for one of their broadcasting towers.
• One donor couple took the opportunity to support A Beautiful Me further than just a grant and enjoyed a site visit to be more hands-on and learn firsthand about the transformational self-esteem work their programs are doing.
• Mid City Nutrition got help to cover repair bills.
• Port Huron Old Newsboys had their funds doubled by a match to provide winter essentials to some of our community’s most at-risk children.
• SONS Outreach was thrilled to receive a donation to cover their tools for masonry class in the Your Future Now program.
• The Great Start Readiness programming for St. Clair County received funding for grocery and gas cards to support their families going through emergency needs.

In addition, we have endowed funds that come alongside local donations, such as the Thomas K. Smith Fund, that was set up to continually support local human services. The Thomas K. Smith Fund was established in June 1994 with just over $103,000, and in the past 29 years has provided over $142,000 in grants. These grants have been awarded to Blue Water Safe Horizons, Salvation Army, Mid City Nutrition, to support a scouting program for low-income students, Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, and the YMCA for food, clothing, and youth programs. When donor gifts and endowment fund grants are combined, it’s a powerful collective giving boost for our local nonprofits.

These are just a few examples of how giving together on Giving Tuesday can deeply impact our local nonprofits providing for basic needs this year. We want to encourage you to give locally on Giving Tuesday in any way that touches your heart. Click here for the current Wish List, and many thanks for giving back.