Have you re
covered from Thanksgiving? Was your Turkey Day was full of friends, family, and (in my case) football? Did you brave the malls on Black Friday? Support local shops on Small Business Saturday? Hit your favorite online retailer on Cyber Monday? Yes? Well, next up is Giving Tuesday!
In case you haven’t yet heard of it, Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a day set aside to donate your time and/or resources to a worthy cause and keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive!
The official #GivingTuesday organization, founded in NYC, uses social media to help charities raise funds in a massive cooperative campaign running across the web and social media (find our more here).
If you haven’t yet thought about what worthy cause you’d like to support on December 1st, here are some great Texas charities to consider.
FOOD
What They Do: AFB serves Central Texas, helping to feed nearly 146,000 Central Texas suffering from food poverty, one-third of them children. Every $1 donated is equivalent to 6 meals served.
How to Give: You can donate food in person or donated funds via the AFB website. This holiday season, your donation to Austin Food Bank will go even further thanks to a matching gift challenge by the Beaumont Foundation up to $100,000.
What They Do: NTFB provides access to more than 170,000 meals each day for hungry children, seniors, and families through a network of more than 1,000 programs and 200 partner agencies.
How to Give: Donate food, volunteer your time, or give funds. Feel free to share information about NTFB on your social media. Find out more here.
FAMILY SUPPORT
What They Do: TDB provides services and resources to respond to families in poverty, in part by providing one of the most necessary and expensive resources: diapers. The Texas Diaper Bank currently provides more than 700,000 diapers to approximately 9,000 babies in Bexar County.
How to Give: Donate funds to purchase more diapers via the website. Find out more here.
Family Services of Greater Houston
What They Do: Through many outreach programs, Family Houston provides services such as career counseling, parenting skills classes, assisting veterans benefit enrollment, and a host of other things.
How to Give: There are a number of ways to support Family Houston, including several types of donations, becoming a Young Professional, or even participate in Run for a Reason in January!
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
What They Do: The Houston Area Women’s Center helps individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence move their lives forward in a positive direction. HAWC provides shelter, counseling, and advocacy to support women in building lives free from the effects of violence.
How to Give: Make donations here.
What They Do: The Texas Advocacy Project provides pro bono legal services for cases of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. TAP serves clients in cities throughout Texas.
How to Give: TAP offers five different ways to donate. Visit their donations page for more info.
LITERACY
Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
What They Do: This charity is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Houstonians across all ages through the power of literacy – the ability to read, write, speak clearly, and think critically. It runs a number of programs and outreach initiatives throughout the Greater Houston area.
How to Give: You can make donations by phone or via the charity website.
ANIMALS
What They Do: RPM works with the BARC to rescue dogs destined for euthanasia and transports them to other states where they are adopted into loving, forever homes. By doing this, RPM has helped BARC reach a 90+% live release rate and has saved the lives of more than 10,000 dogs and cats.
How to Give: Visit the RPM secure donations page.
ENVIRONMENT
What They Do: KTB is a nonprofit that aims to protect our state’s natural wildlife and beauty, and is responsible for a wide variety of environmentally-focused outreach activities and ongoing campaigns. It targets litter prevention, community beautification, and waste reduction.
How to Give: You can support KTB in a number of ways, including donations, purchasing memberships or merchandise, and becoming a company sponsor. Find out more here.
No matter which organization you choose to support this #GivingTuesday, maximize the impact of your support by doing the following:
- Check to ensure that the charity is accredited (start by researching the IRS registered charities site).
- Share your support on social media or by word-of-mouth. Your giving may encourage others to give as well.
- Join the charity’s mailing list. You’ll be notified about new offers and opportunities to get involved throughout the year.
- If your employer has a matching gift program, complete the needed paperwork (usually found through your HR manager) and send it to the charity. Matching gifts are an easy way to double or even triple your donation!
Who do you plan to support this Giving Tuesday? Do you have an awesome charity you’d like me to add to the list? I’m all ears! Comment here or on Facebook.
