BERLIN – An online giving campaign will return to Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties this month.
On Tuesday, Nov. 29, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore will host its 8th Annual Shore Gives More campaign. Community Foundation President Erica Joseph said more than 120 nonprofit organizations will participate in this year’s giving event, making it the biggest one yet.
“We’re so excited because each year there’s a new flavor and experience as new groups get involved,” she said.
Held on Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – Shore Gives More is a 24-hour online giving event that provides community members an opportunity to raise funds for various nonprofits.
Using the Community Foundation’s online donation portal, shoregivesmore.org, individuals can research organizations and support local nonprofits of their choosing.
“It’s really easy,” Joseph explained. “The Shore Gives More website has all the tools for online shopping – in a charitable sense – and donors can rest assured knowing these organizations have been fully vetted to ensure current tax-exempt status. It’s important to remember all contributions are tax deductible.”
The Shore Gives More campaign was first launched in 2015 as a way to equip local nonprofits with the digital resources needed for fundraising. And in that first year, community members raised nearly $7,500 for a few dozen organizations.
But Joseph said the event has grown in recent years. In 2021, for example, 1,461 donors contributed more than $300,000 for 121 nonprofits.
“The first year we did the campaign, it was in partnership with a handful of nonprofits in Worcester County who wanted to streamline online giving …,” she said. “We used our own website, and we realized right away there was a need to help make it easter for people to give online and identify trusted causes in the community.”
Planning for this year’s Shore Gives More campaign began in earnest this summer, when the Community Foundation started meeting with nonprofits to discuss marketing opportunities, donor outreach and more. Each year, the foundation provides online software and marketing support for free to participating organizations.
Joseph added that the Community Foundation’s Shore Gives More campaign will also dole out cash prizes to nonprofits that attract the highest number of unique donors during a specified timeframe.
“It helps give donors extra encouragement to support their favorite organizations,” she said.
As in years past, the online donation portal will be open for 24 hours on Giving Tuesday. Beginning Nov. 21, however, participants can schedule their contributions in advance.
For more information, or to donate, visit the Shore Gives More website.
