Portland, OR. #GivingTuesday took place this year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The estimated $274 million donated as part of the sixth annual #GivingTuesday was the highest amount in the event’s history, according to an organization statement. The final count represents a 55 percent jump over the $177 million donated in 2016, continuing the increase in donations since the charity-focused event began in 2012.
The 2017 estimate comes from donations reported by about three dozen online giving platforms, including PayPal, Blackbaud, Classy and Facebook, and reflects only donations made in America, although the movement has taken hold around the world, according to Jamie McDonald, Giving Tuesday’s community campaign coordinator.
If you’re still looking for ways to give, here are some tips from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities:
Step One: Be Proactive In Your Giving
Start by identifying which causes are important to you, and be specific about the impact you want your donation to have. For example, maybe you are interested in helping people with a particular disease. A large national organization might be better suited to research and finding a cure for the disease, whereas another one, perhaps in your community, could be doing great work providing services to patients and their families. Once you are clear about your philanthropic priorities, start to pull together a list of charities that match your interests.
Step Two: Research before Giving
Next, begin to narrow down your list of charities by conducting some basic research.
Make sure the charity you are considering supporting is a bona fide, tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity (all of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement). If you aren’t sure, ask for the organization’s EIN (Employer Identification Number) and then check our site to confirm its status.
Examine the charity’s finances. Financially healthy organizations – those that are both financially efficient and sustainable – have greater flexibility and freedom to pursue their charitable mission.
Ensure the charity is accountable and transparent. Charities that are an open book and follow good governance practices are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities.
Step Three: Discuss Results and Impact
A charity’s ability to bring about long-lasting and meaningful change in the world is the key reason for their existence and for your donation. So, before making a contribution, talk with the charity to learn about its accomplishments, goals, and challenges. Such conversations will give you insight into how well the charity knows where it stands and where it plans to go. Charities unwilling or unable to have this conversation may not deserve your support.
Step Four: Consider the Way You Give
You’ve done your due diligence, so trust the charity to determine how best to spend your contribution. Giving without strings attached (through unrestricted donations), provides the charity the flexibility it needs to respond to changing demands for its services.
Create a budget for how much you can (or would like to) give. Understanding the tax benefits of giving and spacing out gifts during the year (via automatic monthly donations) may boost your overall giving capacity.
Step Five: Follow Your Investment
Remember to follow up with the charity in six months to a year to find out how they’re using your money. You’re not looking for a list of itemized expenses, but instead a progress report to give you a sense of how responsive they are to you and if they can clearly communicate their progress.
Once you are assured that the charity is making an impact, make a commitment to support their work for the long haul. Only with long-term, committed supporters can a charity be successful!
But, if your charity can’t tell you what kind of results they created from your investment, go back to Step One and find one that will!
Below is a list of links to some Portland Area Nonprofits, so happy #GivingTuesday!
Arts, Culture & Humanities
As part of its commitment to the community, Portland Opera makes the final dress rehearsal of each opera available to the region’s students.
The United Way of Columbia-Willamette helps organize the MLK Day of Service like where thousands volunteered like this Camp Fire program where students works in the garden to learn about local plants and vegetables, planting, maintaining gardens and healthy eating.
You can expect scenes like this one from a previous ball when more than 800 event-goers were in attendance for Levé’s Ninth Annual Charity Ball. That year, all proceeds benefited “I Have a Dream” Oregon.
This year, along with a DJ, silent auction, and wine wall, the event will be emceed by Stumptown’s favorite drag queen, Poison Waters.
Earlier this year, Levé members volunteered at the Girls Inc. “Rappel for Her” fundraiser. There is a clear synergy with the Levé and Girls Inc partnership. Girls Inc. works to inspire school-aged girls to be strong, smart and bold, while Levé prides itself on women supporting women.
Levé, which comes from the french word “to lift,” has a unique partnership model that exposes habitual attendees to a wide scope of Portland’s thriving nonprofit community. After a competitive application and interview process, Levé selects only one of the many worthy nonprofits for the ladies to lift and support throughout the year. Previous partners include Bradley Angle, New Avenues for Youth, and Children’s Cancer Association.
At a previous ball, then Levé board president, Megan Dobson sells items from a basket.
2011 Levé board member Anne Lawrence, Levé president Kiernan Doherty and Levé vice president Megan Dobson pose right before doors opened for the 8th Annual Charity Ball at the Wonder Ballroom.
the Levé board, committee and advisory members pose for a shot before the Ball begins.
From Levé:
Through our diverse and growing nonprofit network, we continually enlighten ourselves and supporters about Portland’s most vulnerable and strive to give them a voice through volunteering, activism, and fundraising. We’re a bit unconventional. We believe standing for something is contagious and that giving back is fun. That’s why we take a different approach to philanthropy. By selecting and lifting up a new nonprofit each year, we create long-term relationships between our supporters and partners based on shared values and passions. We are also able to share a cause that is relevant and accessible, tailored to each year.In addition to raising immediate and unrestricted funds for our annual partners through our signature event, we seek to build long-term support by exposing a new demographic to the organization and its mission. Our hope is that they will then become lifelong supporters, helping the organizations expand their donor base and build their next generation of supporters, advocates and volunteers. Each year since our inception, Levé’s cash contributions, volunteerism and activism have grown. In total, we’ve infused nearly half a million dollars into the local nonprofit community thanks to our awesome network of supporters! By selecting a different type of nonprofit each year, our hope is that if one doesn’t resonate one year, the next year’s nonprofit’s mission will, and that our event-goers continue to support that nonprofit with time and resources well into the future. Essentially, Levé’s goal is to help nonprofit organizations widen their footprint in the community and expand their donor base, providing a platform for which to publicize the essential work.
Our credo is to do more good. Levé was born of the belief that anyone can make a difference. In fact, we know that the impact of a lot of smaller donations is often more effective than a few large ones. That’s because when we do something for someone else, that good energy ripples out; it’s contagious. It’s literally science. When we build charitable habits, we are better citizens, colleagues, parents and friends—and we inspire others to be too. And thus is the magic of the ripple effect. We consume over 10 hours of media every day. It can be difficult to cull through it all to determine what matters. That’s why we take our responsibility as (unofficial) community advisers so seriously at Levé. Since 2004, our volunteer board of young professional women has vetted hundreds of applications from local nonprofits, narrowing it down to one annual partner each year. Our unique process connects our supporters with diverse causes and trusted organizations each year, concluding with an unconventional fundraiser that is designed to teach our peers what it means to give back. Levé membership has also evolved into a “training ground” for young philanthropists. Comprised of some of Portland’s most driven and gracious women, Levé provides an opportunity to cultivate not only nonprofit endeavors, but also significant professional and personal growth. It’s not uncommon for members to get new jobs, learn new skills, or even change careers entirely based on a connection they make. Perhaps best of all, is the sisterhood and friendship we share. Together, our goal is to inspire and mobilize the next generation of givers in Portland and beyond.
2010: Bank of America, Local Hero Award – awarded to board member Megan Dobson for activating her middle school students to get involved in Philanthropy using Levé’s model of giving back.
Portland, OR. Applications are now open for the next round of the Nike Community Impact Fund, with $250,000 in cash grants being offered to nonprofits and schools in Portland and SW Washington. Want to apply? Or can you help get the word out? Applications are due by December 1, 2016.
The Nike Community Impact Fund is an innovative approach to grant making in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation, that engages Nike employees and Nike store staff in Oregon and across the United States to directly impact the local communities where they live and work.
Nike Paralympian gold medalist and rugby wheelchair athlete Will Groulx and grant recipient representative Christine Getman, Education Program Coordinator, Incight. Grant: To raise awareness and promote inclusive recreation opportunities in the community through a 12-week hand-cycling series for individuals with disabilities.
A committee of Nike store employees and other Nike employees award grants to organizations that give youth early, positive experiences in sport and physical activity and strengthen communities. Nike has awarded more than 330 non-profit organizations in Portland and SW Washington with $3.5 million since the program began in 2010.
Grants are one-year awards of $5,000 to $20,000 each with a total of $250,000 being offered to nonprofits and schools in the greater Portland area (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill and Columbia Counties in Oregon; and Clark County in SW Washington) in support of projects that:
Deliver impact through the lens of sport and physical activity.
Address community challenges through innovative community-based solutions.
Applications are due December 1, 2016 and must be submitted online at nike.com/ncif
Portland, OR. TheColumbia Land Trust annual gala raised $285,600 to support conservation and restoration work in the Columbia River region. Supporter Judy Gordon, Board Member Wendy Gerlach and Columbia Land Trust Leadership Giving Manager Yvonne Garcia enjoyed the event on October 13th. (Photo credit, Brit Forbes) The gala featured the premiere of the short film, As She Grows, which tells how the Land Trust is helping conserve vast swaths of working forestland just south of Mount St. Helens. The video also explores the ways in which old growth forests inspire curiosity in the young and the young at heart.
Frank Glenn IV, Columbia Land Trust Executive Director Glenn Lamb and Lin Li.
Kelley Jorgensen, from Plas Newydd Farm, was bidding during the Live Auction.
“Murmur Creative” table guests smile for a photo during dinner.
Attendees enjoyed a live auction, which included local tours, outings, and experiences including a beach side getaways and Snake River rafting excursions. The nonprofit raised funds for northwest conservation by selling dry bags full of prizes (thanks to Cascade Designs!), local beer and cider, and lucky golden salmon tickets.
Thanks to our photographer, Brit Forbes, our volunteers, our Emerging Leaders Council, our sponsors including presenting sponsor Waste Connections, and all of our donors for making this year’s Wild Splendor a huge success.
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