SALISBURY – A record number of local nonprofits are expected to benefit from this year’s “Shore Gives More” campaign.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore will host its fourth annual online giving campaign, which allows individuals an opportunity to donate to one – or several – of the 99 participating nonprofits serving Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties.
“We have a record number of participating organizations this year, really across the spectrum,” said Erica Joseph, president of the Community Foundation. “Not only is it a great opportunity to go and support the organizations you know and love, but it’s also a nice way to learn about some smaller, newer nonprofits that are doing really great things.”
The online event is held each year in conjunction with Giving Tuesday, a charitable movement held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Joseph said the Community Foundation and its sponsors provide an online portal, marketing materials, incentive prizes and support to participating nonprofits as they encourage people to donate to the 24-hour campaign.
“Our goal is to make it as seamless as possible for the donors…,” she said. “So we’ve refined our technology platform to make it easier for people to give to local nonprofits.”
Joseph said those wishing to donate to a local nonprofit can do so by visiting the campaign’s website on Giving Tuesday or by scheduling their donations online ahead of time.
“It’s a busy time of the year,” she said. “We had some people tell us last year they were traveling or forgot on the day of to donate, so there is a whole week to pre-schedule their donations.”
Because the Community Foundation vets all participating organizations, Joseph said donors can rest assured that their money is being used for local programs on the Lower Shore.
“Most of the organizations that are working here on the Eastern Shore are local nonprofits,” she said. “So they have staff and volunteers and expenses that need to be paid for in addition to the programming that happens. With this campaign, we can highlight the value of the local nonprofit sector and encourage people to give whatever amount is comfortable to them.”
Joseph added that it was critical to support local organizations that provide valuable services to the community.
“Every gift matters,” she said, “the small ones, the medium ones and the big ones.”
Joseph said the “Shore Gives More” campaign has grown since its inception. In 2015, the event started with 23 participating nonprofits and raised under $7,500. Last year, however, the event featured 80 participating nonprofits and raised more than $164,000.
“Each year, we gather feedback from the nonprofits and the donors on what they liked, what was missing and what they would like to see in terms of giving,” she said. “We’ve used that as an opportunity to grow the program and make it a little more user friendly.”
While she is thrilled with the number of nonprofits participating in this year’s event, Joseph said she is not surprised.
“Every year we hear from people who say they would love to be involved next year, so we keep growing the list,” she said. “What we find really gratifying is that so many of the organizations that participate each year keep coming back. They find value in working together.”
Joseph said she is most excited to see how new and returning nonprofits will promote their fundraising efforts on Giving Tuesday.
“We’ve been in the planning stages for many months and the organizations are all doing their own little mini campaign,” she said. “I know we haven’t seen everything that people have planned, so we look forward to seeing how our local partners excite and energize the community next Tuesday.”
For more information on the “Shore Gives More” campaign, or to donate, visit www.shoregivesmore.org.
“Together we can show our support for organizations that are doing so much in our community,” Joseph said. “I think it’s a nice way for all of us to focus on helping one another.”
