Rich-
I saw your post about Ashley, and I thought I would share one thing we are coordinating that can be of help to nonprofits struggling to provide services to those in need in the face of no budget and no payments. You may have heard of Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (this year, December 1). The 92nd Street Y in New York started it a few years ago. It has spread across the country as a way to give back during the holiday season. Donors Forum has organized a campaign called #ILGIVE - http://www.ilgive.com/ - as a vehicle for Illinois nonprofits to the use the day to raise funds and connect with donors.
This campaign does not raise money for Donors Forum. It raises money for the nonprofits that sign-up to be part of it.
Our goal is to raise $6 million dollars on one day for Illinois nonprofits. Right now, about 250 nonprofits are signed up, many of which are ones that rely on state funding to serve Illinois families and communities - Erie Family Health Center, Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, Children’s Home + Aid, YMCA of Danville, Transitions Mental Health Services in Rock Island, to name a few.
Will this campaign close the budget gap most nonprofits are facing because of the state budget crisis? Of course not. It is, however, one tangible thing we can do to help in a time where a lot of us are feeling pretty ineffective at making a difference.
I would love to see the Capitol Fax community get involved.
· The nonprofits that read Capitol Fax can sign-up.
· Elected officials can spread the word to the nonprofits in their communities about this opportunity, and then promote the day to constituents, encouraging them to donate to a cause they care about on that day.
· Everybody can spread the word and give what they can on December 1.
It is not the end all, be all, but it can make a big difference to nonprofits and those they serve. Thanks for hearing me out. If you decide to share, feel free to list me as a contact for folks that have more questions and want to get involved. Let me know if you have any questions.
-Doug
Doug Schenkelberg
Vice President, Strategy & Policy
Donors Forum
- Honeybear - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
Thank you for forwarding this resource!
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 2:45 pm:
+100
Kudos to everyone doing this and Rich for sharing this message. Bittersweet post of the day.
- sal-says - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 2:52 pm:
Thanks for helping. Unconscionable that IL is in this position.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:06 pm:
I’m in
- CCP Hostage - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:08 pm:
I will share this with my fellow hostages. It may help some. And thank you.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:09 pm:
I can’t figure out how to actually give on their website
- ANONIME - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
Don’t forget, you can always give to your local food banks, churches, agencies directly too. And you don’t need to wait until December 1
- illini - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
Thank you Rich and I hope Ashley is doing well!
Granted many of these agencies do rely, to some extent, for their funding from the State, yet I will certainly contribute some amount.
As a point of interest, there is a private Church-based Non-Profit in my small community that has a budget that approaches $11 million with 95% of their funding coming from the State. I have not been able to find out what impact this stalemate is having on their operations or what will be forthcoming from the BVR agenda.
Lives and lively hoods are at stake - we have 2 of the ILLGOP representing us in the GA - lets see what influence they have with our Governor!!
- Delia - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
@Steve Schnorf - no need to give today - we’re prepping orgs to receive donations on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1. But today is a good day to click on I”m a Donor and the campaign will send you a reminder on Dec 1 to give to the org you care about.
We really appreciate this!
- burbanite - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:38 pm:
I didn’t see a place to click I am a donor, I clicked pledge to give and it doesn’t work.
- Anon221 - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:39 pm:
I’ll plan to donate that day. The question on mind is, will the Rauners? Seems like they and their friends could easily do a matching donation to that 6 million and we could double the overall contributions in one day. Consider this a “call-out” for a challenge donation.
- Ann - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 4:13 pm:
Giving Tuesday is a great thing, and of course I’m in, and I hope that the Rauners rise to Anon221’s challenge. But I can assure you that every non-profit already has an individual donations line in its budgets and even if that line somehow miraculously doubles in the next two months, it won’t begin to make up for the loss of state funding, probably not enough to save a job, let alone an agency. And I know everyone already knows this. But I’m so angry that the governor thinks this is some stupid joking matter.
- Texas Red - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 4:25 pm:
Voluntary cooperative action, rather than coercive taxation is a very prudent way of funding charitable endeavors. I say Bravo
- Capitol View - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 4:41 pm:
Am I the only who sees this effort as absurd? There is a statutory responsibility for state government to care for its eligible or mandated client base.
Want to contribute to state government? The Lottery is voluntary taxation.
The correct solution is for state government officials to act responsibly and get past this crisis through constructive revenue and appropriation actions.
I support a serious look at what programs and services should continue as core government services, and knocking off a few with adequate notice to the private sector or simple abandonment of obsolete efforts. But this fund raising effort is simply an embarrassment and acceptance of dysfunctional state government. And it will convince some fools that government action is unnecessary…
- Doug Schenkelberg - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 4:46 pm:
Texas Red - To be clear, we do not see this important effort replacing the critical role of state government. It is a partnership. Donors Forum believes that we each should do our part to support the causes we believe in and that there is a critical role government should play through the smart use of tax dollars. For us, it is a both and, not an either on.
- haverford - Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 4:46 pm:
The comment above mine is exactly why I’m of two minds about these kinds of efforts. While I 10000000% appreciate the effort to keep these folks open in this manufactured crisis, I’m concerned that an outpouring of support will be used by the Right to say, “See! We don’t need Government. The private sector will step up.”
But funding of crucial services that benefit state residents is exactly why we need government.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, Donors Forum folks. I’m just afraid that some folks will use your bighearted gesture for cynical ends. This is such a tough, dumb situation in which we find ourselves.