'Tis the season of giving: support Dayton-area charities on #GivingTuesday
By Kamron Taylor, Staff Writer
If after you survived Black Friday, you felt a little like the concept of giving got lost in the hustle and bustle, you might enjoy, #GivingTuesday.
This year's event is held on Tuesday, Dec. 1, but the national movement started in 2012, and was designed to get folks excited about charitable giving and helping their communities. You might think of it as an extension of the Thanksgiving holiday, where you show your gratitude by helping others less fortunate.
According to Grace Jones, Marketing Communications Specialist at Dayton Children's Hosptial, #GivingTuesday is positioned perfectly in the season.
"We just love it because people are focused on spending money for themselves, and this is a great time for them to focus on the true meaning of the season," Jones said.
Dayton Children's Hospital is thought of as the group that pioneered the celebration in Dayton. Now, you can see that business and organizations all over the city are giving back and participating in this special day!
Here are 7 ways you can get involved:
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1. Support Dayton Children's Hospital
Source: FacebookYou can pick and choose the area of Dayton Children’s Hospital where you'd like to help, whether it's the Pet Therapy Center or the CARE House. The hospital is looking to raise $35,000 this year for #GivingTuesday. You can help out by first visiting the Dayton Children's Facebook page.
Then, you can choose a challenge participant and make a donation to Dayton Children's for #GivingTuesday. You can choose based upon what area or person you'd like to support. Then, you can post about it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #DCHGivingTuesday. -
2. Celebrate with the Humane Society
Source: FacebookSay you’d like to focus your giving to the city’s pets. You can do this by connecting with Humane Society. If you check out their website, the Humane Society is celebrating generosity and #GivingTuesday by allowing you to donate funds to help support Montgomery County's homeless pets. Their goal is to raise $24,000, and any donation is eligible to "Paw It Forward." According to their organization, “any donation made to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton on Giving Tuesday can be given as a gift in honor of a loved one on your holiday shopping list, and we’ll email you a certificate to give as a gift.”
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3. Support the Dayton Red Cross
Source: FacebookGiving blood helps save lives. Is there a better gift than that? You can support The Dayton Red Cross year-round, but right now they're encouraging all Daytonians to “give something that means something.” Help the Red Cross’s year-round mission to support communities in times of need. You can also shop their Holiday Gift Catalog, which helps to raise funds for vaccinations around the world, comfort kits for service members who’ve been hurt and provides hot meals for those who’ve been impacted by a natural disaster.
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4. Donate to Boonshoft Museum
Source: FacebookThe Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is awesome, but what makes it better is its desire to inform the community about science and natural history. The Boonshoft is celebrating #GivingTuesday in a pretty unique way: for every $100 donated, the museum is giving away Family Memberships to local families. You can also donate here.
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5. Spread the good with The Dayton Foundation
Source: FacebookThe Dayton Foundation is participating in the "Share the Give Community Challenge." By sharing your favorite charity’s photo with your friends on Facebook, you can help that nonprofit receive one of this year’s #SpreadtheGood grants. $2,000 is awarded to the first-place winner, $1,500 to the second-place winner and $500 for the third-place winner with the highest number of shares. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
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6. Give back to the Hannah's Treasure Chest
Source: FacebookAn anonymous benefactor has agreed to match all donations given to Hannah’s Treasure Chest on #GivingTuesday up to a total of $5,000: “Any personal, business or foundation gifts made on that date will be matched, and are fully tax-deductible to the extent of the law as determined by the IRS,” according to their website.
Hannah’s Treasure Chest helps children come up with necessities such as winter clothing, high chairs and hygiene items. You can donate here, or you can send a check payable to Hannah’s Treasure Chest, 124 Westpark Road, Centerville, OH 45459 with “Donation Match 2015” written on the memo line.
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7. Rebuild the Community with "Rebuilding Together Dayton"
Source: FacebookRebuilding Together Dayton works at providing rehabilitation services and critical repairs to the homes of low-income American homes at no cost to the homeowner. As the weather gets colder, it’s a great time to support the organization by ensuring that Dayton’s homes are safe and livable during the winter months. You can donate here.
Looking for more ways to give back on #GivingTuesday? Check out our comprehensive Volunteer Guide.
