(Nov. 26, 2015) While national and statewide initiatives to inject a little charity into the post-Thanksgiving day consumer frenzy have existed for years now, this year will mark the first time Worcester residents can not only support local nonprofits but also do that in their pajamas, if they so choose.
The centerpiece of “Giving Tuesday” on Dec. 1, is a website, www.shoregivesmore.org, that allows users to donate to one or more Worcester charities of their choice. The full site will launch just before Dec. 1, but now available is a placeholder site that offers details about the programs and the charities involved.
“What happened is a group of Worcester nonprofits gathered together,” and wanted to be able to offer potential donors a way to manage multiple donations, Heather Mahler, program director for the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, said. “That’s where we come in.”
The Community Foundation, with offices in Salisbury but serves Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties, developed the shoregivesmore.org site and patterned it after the state’s “Maryland gives more” campaign. The foundation’s mission is to support and encourage philanthropy and develop the community.
“One of the cool things is we have a sponsor, who chooses to remain anonymous, who will cover all of the transaction fees, so 100 percent of a donation goes to the nonprofit of your choice,” Mahler said.
Online payment service PayPal charges 3 percent per transaction, for example, and major credit cards all have their associated fees.
“Users of the site will see a list of the participating nonprofits, their missions, funding focus or goals and links to their own websites. You can choose one or multiple causes to donate to, or there is a box where you can specify a different nonprofit if you wish,” she said.
Mahler said this structure allows local donors, who often select to keep their donations local, to manage all charitable giving in one place.
“We are pleased to support this great opportunity for families, businesses, community groups and students to come together for the common purpose of supporting charitable causes, to celebrate generosity and give,” Erica Joseph, Community Foundation president, said. “We encourage everyone to visit www.shoregivesmore.org on Dec. 1 and give generously to the causes they care about.”
The popularity of “Giving Tuesday” has grown significantly in recent years, according to the Community Foundation, as hundreds of qualified nonprofits have collaborated to promote online charitable giving on the day immediately after “Cyber Monday.”
Qualified nonprofit organizations in Worcester County participating in the shoregivesmore.org Giving Tuesday charitable fund raising campaign are:
• Assateague Coastal Trust
• Art League of Ocean City
• Costen House
• Delmarva Discovery Center & Museum
• Diakonia Inc.
• Jesse Klump Memorial Fund
• Julia A. Purnell Museum
• Historic St. Martin’s Church
• Lower Shore Land Trust
• Maryland Coastal Bays Program
• Ocean City Development Corporation
• Ocean City Paramedic Foundation
• Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum
• Ocean City Reef Foundation
• OC Boy Scout Troop 225
• Calvin B. Taylor House Museum
• Town Cats Inc.
• Worcester County Arts Council
• Worcester County Developmental Center
• Worcester G.O.L.D.
• Worcester County Humane Society
• Worcester Library Foundation
• Worcester Youth and Family Services
The centerpiece of “Giving Tuesday” on Dec. 1, is a website, www.shoregivesmore.org, that allows users to donate to one or more Worcester charities of their choice. The full site will launch just before Dec. 1, but now available is a placeholder site that offers details about the programs and the charities involved.
“What happened is a group of Worcester nonprofits gathered together,” and wanted to be able to offer potential donors a way to manage multiple donations, Heather Mahler, program director for the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, said. “That’s where we come in.”
The Community Foundation, with offices in Salisbury but serves Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties, developed the shoregivesmore.org site and patterned it after the state’s “Maryland gives more” campaign. The foundation’s mission is to support and encourage philanthropy and develop the community.
“One of the cool things is we have a sponsor, who chooses to remain anonymous, who will cover all of the transaction fees, so 100 percent of a donation goes to the nonprofit of your choice,” Mahler said.
Online payment service PayPal charges 3 percent per transaction, for example, and major credit cards all have their associated fees.
“Users of the site will see a list of the participating nonprofits, their missions, funding focus or goals and links to their own websites. You can choose one or multiple causes to donate to, or there is a box where you can specify a different nonprofit if you wish,” she said.
Mahler said this structure allows local donors, who often select to keep their donations local, to manage all charitable giving in one place.
“We are pleased to support this great opportunity for families, businesses, community groups and students to come together for the common purpose of supporting charitable causes, to celebrate generosity and give,” Erica Joseph, Community Foundation president, said. “We encourage everyone to visit www.shoregivesmore.org on Dec. 1 and give generously to the causes they care about.”
The popularity of “Giving Tuesday” has grown significantly in recent years, according to the Community Foundation, as hundreds of qualified nonprofits have collaborated to promote online charitable giving on the day immediately after “Cyber Monday.”
Qualified nonprofit organizations in Worcester County participating in the shoregivesmore.org Giving Tuesday charitable fund raising campaign are:
• Assateague Coastal Trust
• Art League of Ocean City
• Costen House
• Delmarva Discovery Center & Museum
• Diakonia Inc.
• Jesse Klump Memorial Fund
• Julia A. Purnell Museum
• Historic St. Martin’s Church
• Lower Shore Land Trust
• Maryland Coastal Bays Program
• Ocean City Development Corporation
• Ocean City Paramedic Foundation
• Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum
• Ocean City Reef Foundation
• OC Boy Scout Troop 225
• Calvin B. Taylor House Museum
• Town Cats Inc.
• Worcester County Arts Council
• Worcester County Developmental Center
• Worcester G.O.L.D.
• Worcester County Humane Society
• Worcester Library Foundation
• Worcester Youth and Family Services