Calling All Marylanders on #GivingTuesday!
By Allison Albert, Membership/Marketing Director, Maryland Nonprofits &Campaign Coordinator,#MarylandGivesMore
Maryland is often referred to as “America in Miniature” for its varied geography, but what if we could enjoy that moniker for something more meaningful?
According to the 2014 World Giving Index, recently released by the Charities Aid Foundation, the United States is tied for first place for the honorable designation of the “nation that gives the most.” On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, aka #GivingTuesday, we Marylanders have the opportunity to roll up our sleeves and make a huge statement about who we really are: the most generous state in the country –and by extension, the world!
#GivingTuesday is a movement to create an international day of giving on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, as a counterpoint to the shopping focus of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. 2014 marks the third annual #GivingTuesday initiative.
The #MarylandGivesMore campaign’s goal is to make Maryland the most generous state in the country on #GivingTuesday 2014, and we need your help. Together we can demonstrate our generous spirit while providing food, shelter, education, research, advocacy, and more for fellow citizens in need. And, we have competition: Illinois, Arkansas, and Utah have also thrown their hats into the ring.
Maryland has the advantage as we have already set impressive records on the two previous #GivingTuesdays. In 2012, the first year of #GivingTuesday, our colleagues at The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore led the country as the biggest fundraiser that day, raising $1 million. In 2013, the initiative’s second year, Baltimore held the second largest #GivingTuesday campaign ever, raising $5.7 million for nonprofit organizations in the city in just one day.
Now Maryland can truly live up to its nickname and make this big vision a reality. And, with every Marylander’s help, it won’t be hard to get there. Give $5, $15, $50 or $500 – whatever you can – to your favorite charity, and we’ll do it.
We believe that success is about so much more than dollars. Our #MarylandGivesMore campaign is also an organized day of volunteering, creative community initiatives and celebration. For example, passionate individuals are getting together in teams to fundraise for their favorite organizations, and Constellation Energy is sponsoring a day of volunteering for its employees.
These efforts are a huge part of building excitement for the day. Because, while the national effort offers a platform to raise awareness of the importance of giving back to our communities, it’s really a means to celebrate what happens in Maryland every day, in a big way.
We can do this, Maryland! We’re doers and donors who work in thousands of small ways every day to make the state a better place for our families and for our neighbors’ families. Give, volunteer, take a casserole to a neighbor…whatever you can do to contribute on December 2nd. Let’s truly embody “America in Miniature” on a global scale. Join us.
You can find your inspiration at marylandgivesmore.com.
The #MarylandGivesMore campaign is led by the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations (Maryland Nonprofits) and supported by a committed group of partners including:
The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore
The Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG)
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Maryland Chapter
Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle
The Center for Community Technology Services (CCTS)
Connelly & Assoc. Fundraising , LLC
The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County
The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County
Maryland Nonprofits is the state association of nonprofit organizations, which works to advance the quality of life in Maryland by strengthening, educating, and engaging nonprofits. Maryland Nonprofits is recognized among policy makers, media, opinion leaders, and the general public as a leading representative and authoritative source of information about the state’s nonprofit sector; and as the creator of the Standards for Excellence program, an expert resource for education and implementation of organizational best practices. Maryland Nonprofits advocates in partnership with all sub-sectors and on behalf of the people and communities served by nonprofit organizations throughout the entire state.
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