Giving Tuesday: How your donation helps keep these NorCal nonprofits afloat
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the largest global day of philanthropy.
Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for local communities to come together to support meaningful causes. More than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the U.S., according to data from the National Center for Charitable Statistics.
Myenn Rahnoma, co-founder of the United Afghan Association in Northern California, compares this to Black Friday or Cyber Monday, but instead of purchasing goods at a discount, you're donating to a good cause.
"We're aiming to raise as much money as possible so we can furnish houses or apartments in the Bay Area and Sacramento region for newly incoming refugees," said Rahnoma.
This Tuesday, the seven-member organization gifted furnished homes to 15 newly arrived Afghan families in NorCal.
There are more than 700 nonprofits in the Sacramento region offering services including underserved communities, refugee assistance, environmental protection and wildlife rescue centers.
These nonprofits depend largely on donations, so every little donation helps keep their doors open.
The Sacramento LGBT Community Center in Lavender Heights received assistance to match $10,000 in donations.
"Giving Tuesday is the launch of our year-end fundraising campaign to close just about $150,000 funding gap in order to continue our critical services," said Lanz Nagaral, the Director of Annual & Corporate Giving at the LGBT center.
While the LGBT center receives state and local funding, most of its work is done thanks to private and individual contributors.
In Auburn, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue Center hosted its second biggest fundraiser this year. This Giving Tuesday, they were able to match up to $60,000.
"We rely on those donations as everyone knows and we rely on private donations and private grants to fund our work, to be open 365 days a year, and we provide our services for free," said the center's founder, Sallysue Stein, adding that they help more than 5,000 animals a year.
This event is their last fundraising event before they get busy for the spring baby season, which brings in anywhere between 40 to 60 animals to their rescue center a day.
There are many ways you can contribute, including donating your time and becoming a volunteer at any non-profit organization since they rely heavily on volunteers.