How to Make Give NOLA Day a Family Affair
Unless you’ve lived under a rock the past few years, you know that Give NOLA Day is just around the corner. Give NOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofits, strengthening our region and creating a thriving community for all. Over the past 10 years, Give NOLA Day has impressively raised over 66 million dollars for thousands of nonprofit organizations.
Over 1000 organizations are participating this year alone, with goals ranging from $1,000 to over $100,000. How do you support local organizations on Give NOLA Day? Are you inspired to support organizations you are familiar with, or do you use it to learn about new nonprofits?
Here are Four Tips for participating in Give NOLA Day on Tuesday, May 7, 2024!
- Create a budget
Whether you have as little as $10 or more than $10,000 to donate, every penny helps local nonprofits. Don’t feel guilty if you can only give the minimum $10 donation. Every gift made gets organizations one step closer to their financial goals. If 20 people donate $10, that would be $200 for a nonprofit. If it were 200 people, that would be $2000, exceeding someone’s goal. As tempted as you might be to support more than you can afford, stick with your budget. You always have the option to donate to them regularly. - Select 1-10 organizations to support
Consider who you want to receive your donations. Hint – it can be someone new this year. It’s a great time to explore and support smaller and newer nonprofits. If you want to increase philanthropy in your family, this is an ideal time to engage the entire family. Allow each family member to research and select an organization to support. Explore focus areas of interest, pick by parish, category, operating budget, donations received, or randomly. For those interested in making this a learning opportunity, each person could pitch their organization for a family vote. There is no wrong way to choose. It’s also impactful to see what causes speak to your children.
- Determine how to distribute your donations
You can split the money evenly amongst organizations, give 50% to your favorite, and divide the rest among the other organizations! You can also donate a percentage of their goal or randomly determine how much each nonprofit can give. - Share your list with those in your inner circle
Multiply your efforts by encouraging others to support them as well. Links can be shared via email or social media, or you can issue challenges to your friends and family. You can also create a personal fundraising page for a specific nonprofit.
We haven’t completed our top 10 list yet but have a few new organizations and returning favorites. Here are the five organizations we chose to support during early giving. If their missions speak to you, support and share!
New Orleans Silver Slammers The Silver Slammers stand as more than a basketball team; we are a testament to active, engaged aging. Challenging societal norms that undervalue aging, especially for women in a culture obsessed with youth and beauty, we proudly declare our age.
Dual Support Provides support to families who have experienced trauma and/or grief as a result of relationships.
Gigi’s Playhouse works to change how the world views Down syndrome and sends a global message of acceptance for all.
Birthmark Doula Collective is a birth justice organization in New Orleans that supports, informs, and advocates for pregnant and parenting people and their families.
HoneyBee Strategies seeks unique ways to deliver meaningful training to increase alumni’s employability and earning potential. It currently offers professional development, health and safety, and environmental curriculum.
Early giving has started. If you know who and how you want to support, there’s no need to wait until next Tuesday. However, if you are interested in waiting, you can search by the total amount of donations received and help organizations reach their goals. Your contribution, no matter how small, can help them achieve their goal.
