Local organizations participating in Giving Tuesday felt the love as most came close to or exceeded their goals during the online event devoted to generosity.
Newcomer to the fundraising effort, Su Casa Columbus, was surprised to receive its entire $500 goal for an emergency fund from one contributor, executive director Sylvia Babcock said.
Another $294 in donations came in throughout the day, all of it going toward establishing the fund to help people with needs that haven’t been met by other community agencies.
The money already is being used to help non-English-speaking clients who need immediate assistance in reaching a destination, or replenishing their food supply in an emergency, she said.
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“We will try this again next year,” Babcock said.
“There were some lessons learned — we want to look at what other people are doing, because we have lots to learn.”
One strategy used by two other local organizations resulted in big returns.
Clarity of South Central Indiana pooled end-of-year donations from donors to create a match program for Giving Tuesday, said Al White, a development specialist with the organization. This year’s match was $40,000 and the agency hoped to raise that amount for a total of $80,000, he said.
The match resulted in a grand total of $82,880 for Clarity, which provides help and spiritual guidance for people facing unplanned pregnancies or seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The organization also has the “Hearts Restored” program, which counsels clients experiencing grief over a past abortion choice.
“We had a spectacular day,” White said. “This absolutely exceeded our expectations.”
Clarity staff members have just completed calling every person who donated online to thank them personally for their donation, White said.
“Nonprofits are figuring out what is the most efficient way to fundraise,” White said. “We’ve learned it’s all about developing the relationships.”
The power of relationship building also came into play for Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, which was working toward a $25,000 match from Dave and Jo McKinney to raise a total of $50,000 for its “Raise Our Roof” campaign.
The agency raised $17,223 on Giving Tuesday alone in the campaign, which continues through Dec. 31, said Lisa Shafran, Turning Point’s president.
Shafran described that one-day total as “spectacular.”
The $50,000 would pay for new roofs on the agency’s emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and the agency’s transitional housing unit, Shafran said. Turning Point’s mission is to work toward the prevention and elimination of dating and domestic violence.
This is the third year Turning Point has used the matching strategy over a period of a couple months to raise money for capital improvements. Shafran said when it comes to taking care of the facilities that house those dealing with domestic violence, the community has immediately reached out to fill the need.
Past matching sponsors have been the Haddad Foundation providing a match for painting and a major interior renovation and Kenny Glass to replace the heating and air conditioning systems.
To donate to Turning Point, go to turningpointdv.org and click on “Donate” before Dec. 31.
Foundation for Youth will continue its fundraising efforts that began on Giving Tuesday through Dec. 31, participating in the Newman’s Own Foundation $500,000 challenge. FFY raised $725 as part of the challenge and will continue the effort at foundationforyouth.com/, said Brittany Gray, FFY’s senior development officer.
Money raised in the effort will help pay for scholarships for youngsters whose families may not be able to afford registration fees, she said.
Meanwhile, Lynn Whittington of Columbus worked to raise $1,000 for Peyton’s Angels Indiana Chapter of the Cure Starts Now Foundation. Efforts were in memory of her son, Peyton, who died at age 5 in 2013 from a form of brain cancer.
When Whittington reached that goal, she created a stretch goal of $2,000, which she surpassed at $3,360, she said.
“It was heartwarming to see people truly excited about giving back on Tuesday,” Whittington said. “Any opportunity to make the world a better place is an opportunity not to miss.”
To encourage donors, she promised that if the $1,000 goal was reached, she would take a pie in the face, which she did at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, streamed live on Facebook.
She then promised that her husband John Whittington, and his parents, Shorty and Ro Whittington, also would get pies to the face if the $2,000 goal was reached, which happened at 8 p.m. Tuesday, also streamed live.
The Peyton’s Angels Indiana chapter effort was just part of a statewide Giving Tuesday Facebook campaign, which had an overall goal of $50,000, Lynn Whittington said. As a whole, the Indiana chapter, The Cure Starts Now Foundation, raised more than $51,000, she said.
