Something to agree on
If I had to capture the past year in one word, it would be “versus.” Political views, economic strategy, public health measures, environmental policy – from issues monumental to minute, it seems like there is almost nothing that we can agree on. And it. Is. Exhausting.
I don’t think I’m the only one who feels division is taking a toll on their relationships, community connections, and general outlook.
In times like these, it is important to look for the commonalities: the things, however tenuous, that we can actually agree on.
The success of the Ga gives on Giving tuesday 2020 campaign, the state’s biggest yearly giving movement for nine years running, proves what I have always believed: that nonprofits are the first and best place to look for what unites us.
One thing we all have in common is humanity, and with it our inclination to connect, care, and come together for one another – the very impulses put to work by nonprofits.
Nonprofits are an oasis where “versus” doesn’t exist. In countless disasters, nonprofits step up for people in need without considering political affiliation, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other quality that might differentiate us.
In an ever-more divided world, they serve as hubs of connectivity: opportunities to unite in love and service for our fellow Earth-dwellers, in a shared passion like the arts, in an effort to right injustice – wherever our hearts point us.
In addition, nonprofits employ more than 277,000 Georgians and make up the state’s fifth-largest industry, contributing massively to Georgia’s economic health.
Thankfully, at a moment when nonprofits and our neighbors need us as much as they ever did, over 17,000 individuals stepped up – a 45% increase from 2019, contributing a total of $3.3 million-plus to support more than 1,260 organizations – for the Ga gives on Giving tuesday event this past Dec. 1. (And that’s just through Gag ives. org; the full Gag ives 2020 total is still being tallied!)
Together with our special COVId-relief event in May, the Ga gives movement has generated more than $4.56 million through Gagives.org, thanks to 27,823 donations and a network led by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits alongside our incredible cohort of media, business, and philanthropic partners.
Across the board, the COVID pandemic has left organizations straining either to meet a sharp rise in demand or a steep decline in revenue. The Atlanta Community Food Bank, for instance, has been fielding a 300% increase in need. Meanwhile, every one of our arts organizations has seen a steady source of revenue – in-person visits and performances – dry up overnight.
Once again this year, Georgia rallied for nonprofits and helped ensure their critical work continues – organizing drive-through food pantries and COVID-19 testing, ensuring students have the laptops and PPE they need, caring for the sick and the homebound, and the thousands of other ways nonprofits make our world safer, healthier, and richer.
But the giving season isn’t over yet: Nonprofits can still use your help to meet their year-end fundraising goals.
Champion the cause closest to your heart by talking to others about why it’s important, by volunteering your time and your talent, and by donating to an organization working where you live.
Head to Gagives.org, and you can discover and give to a nonprofit serving your cause, or set up your own fundraiser on behalf of a nonprofit; once you do, you’ll find easy-to-follow prompts for sharing the call to contribute with your online networks. (Don’t forget: Your example is powerful!)
Let’s get behind something we can all agree on – the work and worth of nonprofits – and, together, we can turn from an era of “versus” to a time of service.