Why You Should Take Action on Giving Tuesday
At SHARE Omaha, our “why” is to help nonprofits fulfill their missions by recruiting givers to share money, time and items. This is our guiding light and the reason we stay so enthusiastic about our work. We see incredible changes and lives improved as a result of people like you taking action on this site. We want you to experience this, too, and an important opportunity is coming up on November 30: Giving Tuesday. (Locally, we call this day #GivingTuesday402 in the Omaha metro and #GivingTuesday712 in Southwest Iowa and it wouldn't happen without our presenting sponsors Core Bank and TS Bank.)
We connect your support to local organizations 365 days a year, so you may be wondering why you should take action on this particular day. As communities all over the world participate in Giving Tuesday, it’s our day to show up, take action and celebrate the collective power we have to create change right here, right now.
Throughout the past several years, our region has doubled its giving on this day. In 2018, the metro raised about a half a million dollars together. In 2019 — when SHARE Omaha launched #GivingTuesday402 and #GivingTuesday712 — we all raised $1.69 million. And in 2020, our community took it even further, collectively raising $3.16 million. When you give a little bit, your neighbor gives a little bit and your friends give a little bit, we can accomplish so much together.
Chanticleer Theater performance of The Music Man
"On Giving Tuesday, we're called to uplift and support the important work that's being done in our community,” said Amy Lillethorup, development director of Pottawattamie Arts, Culture and Entertainment (PACE). “No matter the size of the gift, we're reminded that small actions can make a huge impact on the local causes that matter to us most.”
There are other benefits to joining the Giving Tuesday fun, too, that make our giving efforts even more powerful. When you give to an Iowa-based organization with a PCCF endowment, the Pottawattamie Community Community Foundation will give a 20% match. And, this year, Cox, Kiewit, PayPal and Physicians Mutual have pooled $16,000 for randomly selected, participating nonprofits to win at the end of the day.
Whether you choose to support large, medium or small nonprofits, you’re uplifting individuals in our community who have the courage to ask for help. And all of us who enjoy the stellar programs of our quality local nonprofits like PACE. Let’s impact each of our lives in a meaningful, lasting way.
Get Ready to Give
You don’t have to wait until November 30 to take action. SHARE Omaha’s resources are ready year-round. Start searching now for the causes you care about to see how you can support them — whether it’s with dollars, wish list items or your time.
How to Donate
You can give on important community days, like Giving Tuesday on November 30, and also year-round on the SHARE Omaha website. Simply search for a nonprofit or cause, make your selection, choose the amount you’d like to donate and add your gift to your cart. You can select up to 10 nonprofits at once, then make your donations in a single transaction with our simple, streamlined check-out process facilitated by PayPal. Keep in mind, you don’t need a PayPal account to give! Select “pay with a debit or credit card” to give without logging in to a PayPal account.
2020 Giving Tuesday "Gloves that Give" Drive
How to Shop for Good
If an organization has a wish list, it will show up on their individual page. You can also browse our Give Shop to filter wish lists by categories like “who it helps,” “what it impacts” and “causes.” Click on a specific item to purchase it or the “shop our wish list” button to browse everything the organization needs. Once purchased, items will ship directly to them! Be sure to send your contact info in an email to the nonprofit if you'd like them to know who to thank.
How to Give Your Time
SHARE Omaha’s volunteer search tool makes it easy to find the right fit for you — and your friends! Filters include “individual or group,” “desired skill set,” “suitable for kids” and more. You can also search for your favorite organizations’ individual pages to see if they have available opportunities. If you want to volunteer on November 30, we recommend making plans now.
Follow on social media #GivingTuesday402 in the Omaha metro, presented by Core Bank and #GivingTuesday712 in Southwest Iowa, presented by TS Bank to stay up to date, and please spread the word! Let’s come together to give what we can and do what’s needed for Giving Tuesday on November 30.