By Anis Shakirah Mohd Muslimin
November is the month for giving thanks and getting deals, but December has its own day dedicated to giving back: Giving Tuesday.
The annual event is currently in its fourth year, serving as a global day of philanthropy aiming to connect individuals, communities, and organizations around the world to celebrate and encourage giving to charity and non-profits.
Many nonprofits in the Iowa City community, including the University of Iowa Foundation, will participate in this year’s Giving Tuesday.
Dana Larson, executive director of communications and marketing at the UI Foundation, said the foundation will use the day to encourage people to make donations to the university.
“What we’re about is benefiting students, faculty, programs, facilities, and every other aspect at the University of Iowa,” Larson said. “We wanted to give people an opportunity on Giving Tuesday to give back to the university.”
She said the event also provides an opportunity to highlight the need for private giving to the university and how those donations can benefit scholarships for students.
Jennifer Lynch, associate director of the Annual Giving Programs at the UI Foundation, said the organization is using Giving Tuesday as a way to get the word out about what it does.
“Giving Tuesday has been happening for a few years now and we appreciate the global awareness for philanthropy and giving back.” she said. “We also wanted to be a part of the bigger collective effort that happens worldwide with giving Tuesday.”
The UI Foundation is also currently in a fundraising campaign called “For Iowa, Forevermore,” in which it aims to raise $1.7 billion by December 2016. The foundation has raised $1.6 billion to date, and a campaign priority is to raise funds for students, Lynch said.
Jay Capron, communications coordinator at the Crisis Center of Johnson County, said the center will also participate in this year’s Giving Tuesday. The Crisis Center is a nonprofit organization that provides aid to individuals in times of crisis.
“We don’t have an exact dollar amount that we are aiming for this year,” Capron said. “We’re hoping it raises more awareness, and it grows every year.”
However, Table to Table, a food distribution nonprofit, will not participate in Giving Tuesday, said Bob Andrlik, executive director at Table to Table Food Distribution Network.
Andrlik said the national event is helpful, but it is a tool that works well for groups that have a larger social-media presence.
“We don’t seem to have a lot of followers, and that seems to be the key for Giving Tuesday,” he said. “Organizations that have huge social-media presence tend to make out well, organization that don’t have a lot of that connections don’t make out as well.”
The UI police and the Iowa City police will hand out doughnuts to children cancer patients at the UI Hospital as part of Giving Tuesday, said Alton Poole, community outreach officer for the UI police.
“There are different ways to give actually — giving time, showing that you care is really important,” he said. “This is our way of giving.”