North Texas Giving Day is September 23 – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
With just a few clicks, North Texans can help the nonprofit sector cope with the increasing demands of the ongoing pandemic. North Texas Giving Day, an online fundraiser that supports more than 3,350 nonprofits, takes place on September 23rd.
“There were so many pivots that different organizations had to rethink the way they worked.” Said Chris McSwain, director of community engagement, North Texas Giving Day, Communities Foundation of Texas. “The demand is still great and I don’t think it will be ‘normal’ again anytime soon.”
The Community Foundation of Texas (CFT) organizes the North Texas Giving Day. Last year, the online fundraiser raised $ 58.8 million for more than 3,200 nonprofits. “I’m really overwhelmed by the way people show up for each other,” said McSwain.
To help nonprofits prepare for this year’s campaign, McSwain is encouraging companies to strategize on how the day works for them. Nonprofits can recruit volunteers and raise funds. It is vital to attract supporters by raising awareness of their story. “With this storytelling component, authenticity is key,” said McSwain.
For Crossroads Community Services, food insecurity is at the heart of its history. “At this point, we continue to see that our families still need food,” said Benaye Rogers, President and CEO of Crossroads Community Services. “With the increase in variants, with the decrease in unemployment benefits and some incentives, we see these numbers increase by up to 10-15% weekly.”
Crossroads Community Services
Crossroads Community Services continues to see a great need for food.
Rogers expects the increased demand to continue until the end of 2023. “The people we serve are just normal people,” said Rogers. “We serve everyone who you expect us to serve and a large number of people who you think are not currently in need of grocery assistance. COVID has changed our financial landscape. “
Crossroads Community Services is the southern hub of the North Texas Food Bank Feeding Network, which operates in a food desert. In 2020, a nonprofit distributed 11.8 million pounds of food to 84,000 people. Crossroads also serves 120 agencies and CDPs in Dallas, Ellis and Navarro Counties. “We really are the greatest resource in this food community right now,” said Rogers.
At the beginning of the pandemic, national guards and temporary workers from Shiftsmart replaced volunteers. Since the delta variant limits the availability of volunteers, Crossroads is re-examining the need to hire temporary workers. “That wasn’t something that was budgeted for us,” said Rogers.
Crossroads Community Services
Crossroads Community Services Stresses Crossroads Community Services Stresses $ 1 makes four meals for its customers. makes four meals for his customers.
Crossroads appreciates the unreserved gifts of North Texas Giving Day that allow them to be maneuverable and cash in on unexpected expenses like tents for transit, expanded WiFi, and cooling fans for outdoor workers. “We really saw that donor generosity really increased, especially at the onset of COVID,” Rogers said. “We still need donors and our partners and our foundations to support us, maybe not as high as last year, but certainly not as low as last year. We need a medium. “
In anticipation of its twentieth anniversary, Crossroads launches the Power of One campaign to highlight that $ 1 equals four meals. Crossroads encourages gifts in increments of two such as $ 20, $ 200, $ 2000. “We’re excited about North Texas Giving Day,” said Rogers. “It’s the most extraordinary fundraising activity I’ve ever seen. Donors are social donors and what CFT has been doing with its other partners is really creating this great and great day of social giving. “
Since March 2020, the Plano Civic Chorus has changed the way it presents concerts. The pandemic forced the cancellation of his concert in spring 2020 with just two days’ notice. Last autumn the choir recorded some pieces with a small chamber choir of 24 socially distant singers.
Plano Civic Chorus recorded a number of tracks last fall, including Stephen Paulus’ The Road Home in support of last year’s North Texas Giving Day campaign.
For the 2020-2021 season, the Plano Civic Chorus presented four concerts with a socially distant chamber choir for a smaller, socially distant audience. “It was really difficult to get used to because you’re used to hearing someone right next to you. When everyone is so far away it sometimes seemed easier to hear other voices coming across the room, “said Lisa Tuggy, vice of the Plano Civic Chorus president and chairman of North Texas Giving Day.
Plano Civic Chorus has announced a 2021-2022 season and is taking a cautious approach as pandemic conditions change. The choir works to make its singers comfortable by following scientific information on best practices for concerts and rehearsals. Last year the choir managed to stay healthy while performing. “You have to have a lot of faith in your singers,” said Tuggy.
The choir broadcast its four concerts live last season. “That was new to us. Definitely a new edition and definitely a huge learning curve, ”said Tuggy. “We actually had viewers in other countries and across the United States for these livestreams. We have to move forward because it takes a lot of effort to get it right. “
North Texas Giving Day has been the choir’s premier fundraiser for several years. It was especially important during the pandemic as some other grants were lower. The choir relies on the social aspect of the fundraiser to achieve its North Texas Giving Day goals. “It really needs support from family and friends, and they did really great for us last year,” said Tuggy.
Mike Lancaster
“Let Hope Be Heard” concert by the Plano Civic Chorus, March 6, 2021
The 2021-2022 season is 49. “We love to sing and we love to share this gift of music with everyone,” said Tuggy.
To help Crossroads Community Services, Plano Civic Chorus, and all nonprofits thrive on North Texas Giving Day, McSwain is proud to have Amazon as the first Presenting Sponsor of North Texas Giving Day. “We’re excited for your support and that you share the Giving Day message and really have the power behind your brand to attract more people to our region,” said McSwain.
Instead of focusing on raising a certain amount of dollars, McSwain hopes to get more people involved in the North Texas Giving Day movement. “Our goal is really to get the people of this region to give. Last year we had over 106,000 donors, ”said McSwain. “That is certainly an impressive number, but that is a small drop in the ocean when you think of the millions who live in this region and call it home.”
Enter online: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/
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