May 5 is North Texas Giving Tuesday, a spin-off of the popular North Texas Giving Day generally held later in the year. This giving day specifically targets COVID-19 needs across North Texas.
It’s one way to replenish the coffers of agencies and organizations that have been struggling to meet the accelerated needs of the people hardest hit by the pandemic.
North Texas Giving Tuesday Now is an online campaign that will run on the Communities Foundation of Texas North Texas Giving Day platform and is sponsored by the Dallas Cowboys, Communities Foundation of Texas and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
The thrust of the event is to raise funds for first responders and nonprofits who are on the front lines protecting, feeding, educating and nurturing those who are most adversely affected by the impact of COVID-19.
The United Way of Tarrant County is among the agencies that can receive donations through the giving platform and has already invested $1.2 million across Tarrant County in response to COVID19 since March 24.
“As difficult as it has been to see the struggle of so many of our families, friends and neighbors in North Texas as a result of COVID-19, it has been even more inspiring to see the community pull together in ways that we have never before experienced,” said Leah King, president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County.
“It has been and honor and a privilege to work so closely with the incredible team at North Texas Community Foundation. We share many common goals and collectively recognize the strength of working together through strong coordination and communication.
“Our organizations have invested millions of dollars into our community through our respective donors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and we both recognize that the long-term needs are at least ten-fold,” King said.
Her words were echoed by Rose Bradshaw, president and CEO of the North Texas Community Foundation, a different foundation from Communities Foundation of Texas.
Since March 16, North Texas Community Foundation’s 250 fundholders have contributed more than $1.1 million to COVID-related needs and an additional $3 million in general operating support to the local organizations they know and love, Bradshaw said.
“Times of crisis quickly reveal our strengths and shortcomings. As we’ve navigated this new environment over the last two months, North Texas Community Foundation has benefitted tremendously from unprecedented collaboration with United Way of Tarrant County and more than 50 private, family and corporate foundations,” Bradshaw said.
“Under Leah King’s leadership, United Way has swiftly and effectively identified areas with the greatest need and rapidly deployed resources to community-based organizations on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak,” she said.
In addition to the grants from United Way of Tarrant County and the North Texas Community Foundation – $2.3 million between the two organizations – other local foundations have contributed an additional $4 million over the last month.
“I know those are big numbers, but the need is continuing to grow, and we don’t really know when this pandemic will end and what that aftermath will be like,” said Bradshaw.
“We continue to receive requests from organizations that sweep across the landscape of human needs, ” King said. “We can only hope for the best but plan for the worst.”
Donors to North Texas Giving Tuesday can give any amount they wish to directly to organizations on the front lines of the COVID-19 response, and/or support the more than 3,000 local nonprofits that participated in North Texas Giving Day 2019.
With many service-providing non-profits seeing an increase in demand for critical services coupled with cancelled spring fundraising events, the day aims to bring people together (virtually) to support those who need it most through seamless online giving tools.
Those wishing to donate should visit the website: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org
On that site, they may search for and select non-profits they wish to support.
Giving to this special edition of North Texas Giving Day is scheduled for 6 a.m. to midnight May 5.
The announcement followed the recent establishment of a collaborative North Texas Cares (https://northtexascares.org) by Communities Foundation of Texas, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, United Way of Tarrant County, the North Texas Community Foundation, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, United Way of Denton County and a number of other philanthropic organizations.
Already the North Texas Cares collaborative has awarded 165 grants totaling $6.7 million to Tarrant County non-profits for COVID-related needs.
Since 2009, North Texas Giving Day has pumped $290 million into the community. In 2019, $50 million was raised through more than 100,000 gifts benefiting 3,000 nonprofits in the 20-county region.
– FWBP Staff