A day to give, a day to be proud
The internet deeply affects just about every aspect of our lives. Not all of its effects are positive.
Just type your own name into a search engine like Google and see how much of your privacy has been invaded. Brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to survive in the competition with online retailers. Predators prowl the internet in search of prey.
But the impact of the World Wide Web has been enormous. Nothing since the invention of the printing press has given humanity more access to knowledge. And among its many beneficiaries are charities, whose donors discovered how easy it is to part with their money with just a few keystrokes on their laptops or smartphones.
Washington County Community Foundation realized three years ago what potential the internet had for raising money for local charities. It launched in 2013 its first Day of Giving campaign: one day of the year when people could go to the foundation’s website and donate $25 or more to one or more of the many local nonprofit organizations listed.
Each year, the number of donors and the amount they give has grown. This year’s Day of Giving was Tuesday, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 1,967 people donated $618,079. The numbers are preliminary and will certainly increase once donations which were mailed are added. The charities will also share $100,000 of a bonus pool arranged by WCCF.
Washington City Mission once again topped the list with nearly $75,000 raised from 172 donors. But the smaller, volunteer organizations who struggle to raise funds and awareness are the biggest winners from Day of Giving.
Take, for example, CASA for Kids. It’s not a group many are familiar with. CASA trains community members to become Court Appointed Special Advocates, who will speak up for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the courts of Washington County. CASA volunteers review records, research information, talk to everyone involved in a child’s life and then present their recommendation to the court as to what they feel is in the best interest of the child.
Imagine the huge effect the $40,054 raised Tuesday by CASA will have on those kids.
Car washes and spaghetti dinners are great ways to support charities, but it’s hard for them to raise the kind of money a well-designed and secure website can. Angel Ridge Animal Rescue found 115 supporters Tuesday who donated $11,675, for example. Bentleyville Public Library got a $2,076 shot in the arm. How many bake sales would it take to reach that sum?
Washington County Community Foundation deserves to be commended for its campaign, but we should note Day of Giving grew out of an earlier effort that for many years also supported local charities on one special day in September. United Way of Washington County’s Day of Caring put hundreds of community members to work for that day at the organizations supported by United Way. That program did not directly raise funds for those nonprofits but it increased awareness of their function and the people they benefitted.
Day of Giving is a good illustration of just how aware Washington County residents are of the needs of their neighbors and how generous they can be.