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Kali Baker, Vice President of Community Investment
omaha giving • OMAHA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
finding ChAritABLe connections hAS never Been easier As you read this column, the world will have just participated in Giving Tuesday, an online global giving celebration held each Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Started in 2012, it’s grown into the biggest giving movement in the world. Giving Tuesday harnesses the philanthropic spirit that many around the world—and here in our own community—seek to share throughout the holiday season. In a time when consumption seems to be everywhere, thinking about those in need and the programs and organizations that aim to help them can be a meaningful way to celebrate the season. It is also a point of connection between you and your family as you consider your own holiday customs. You can infuse philanthropy and charitable giving throughout your traditions and giving season. Through TheLandscapeOmaha.org, the Omaha Community Foundation has explored cvic engagement in our community. One of the data points we shared was around philanthropic giving: Locally, 55% have given at least $25 to a local nonprofit organization in the last 12 months. That’s just over half. Think about whether you were a part of those that gave back—what compelled you to give or what held you back? The Foundation is always looking to making philanthropic giving more convenient—and more meaningful. Especially around the holiday season.
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Online giving is just one of many things that can simplify your ability to give back this season. Giving Tuesday and our own charitable giving site, OmahaGives.org, have harnessed the ease and power of online giving to help people streamline their kali baker philanthropic giving. Or, you can visit GivingTuesday402.org to learn more about how our community is celebrating this global movement locally. Nationally, there is a rise in online giving. It’s simple, it’s quick, and often it allows you to seamlessly learn more about the organization you’re giving to, and then connect to them through a donation. Last year Giving Tuesday nationally raised more than $380 million, which represented a 27 percent growth from the previous year. And since 2016, overall online fundraising has grown 17 percent among nonprofits throughout the United States, according to the Blackbaud Institute. Not only is online giving continuing to grow, using our mobile phones to give is (not surprisingly) rising as well. The percentage of online donations made on a mobile device was 24 percent, up from 9 percent in 2018. So think about when, how, why and most importantly where you want to give this holiday season. To learn more about how the Foundation can help your family make giving more simple—and meaningful—contact us at giving@omahafoundation,org or call (402) 342-3458.
mmagazine • DeCemBeR 2019