Stop what you’re doing and log onto the Internet — it’s time to give to our nonprofits — Wednesday, April 9, is Arizona Gives Day.
It’s one day for residents to give back to the nonprofits that give so much to the community we call home. We need them, and they also need us to support their work financially.
There is a nonprofit for everything in the Verde Valley, from arts and entertainment to helping homeless animals and people struggling with hunger. Organizers step up all the time and form groups to take on the burden.
Looking at the list of nonprofits registered for the cyber fundraiser, it’s obvious the community is built upon the foundation of nonprofits.
As the word “nonprofit” implies, these organizations do their work with no financial gain. While some larger nonprofits have endowments and hire full-time paid staff necessary to keep their groups functioning, active and engaged in community service, the organizations by design do not make money like a for-profit business does.
We all know from our personal finances, it isn’t possible to operate anything, much less an organization, without at least an equal flow of cash coming in and cash going out, which is why nonprofits rely heavily on the communities they serve.
Even the groups that charge for services or offer experiences considered entertainment rather than necessity need support outside of the sale of goods to exist in a rural area.
We’ve got the basics covered to help those in need — animal shelters, food banks, Meals on Wheels, caregivers — and we’ve got the extras to improve the quality of life for area residents — entertainment, environmental and awareness.
Luckily for our nonprofits, the majority of people are aware of everything they do for residents and are willing to help when they can, supporting them even when they aren’t prompted by a statewide giving effort.
But Arizona Gives Day provides one new vehicle to support nonprofits. The one-day event allows supporters to give to multiple nonprofits at once rather than piecemeal throughout the year. The nonprofit organization behind the effort also offers prizes in numerous categories, such as “most donations per hour” and “small nonprofits, most donors,” meaning that if a particular nonprofit ranks high, they get a cash bonus from Arizona Gives Day to further their local mission.
So boot up that computer, log onto azgives.razoo.com and say “thank you” with a donation to an organization that’s touched your life and helped our community.
