Thanks a Million!
By Jeanne Howard
We’re overjoyed here at Santa Cruz Gives. The community’s generosity brought us to a major milestone: Raising $1 milllion for local charity. There are still checks to be added to the total that were mailed during the holidays, and more will trickle in for the first week of January, so come back soon to gawk at the final total on the home page.
Thank you to all who took a moment away from the holiday buzz to donate, and who diverted some precious dollars from needs at home.
A quick arm-chair analysis tells us that many who will appear as small donors to organizations are actually large donors to Santa Cruz Gives. Some gave hundreds, a thousand, or thousands, but supported many nonprofit projects with their gift. Our goal is that each organization presents compelling and essential work: It should be hard to choose. Clearly, it was for many donors.
Small donors are as appreciated as large donors. Just as small and large nonprofits are included — because the work is done collectively by nonprofits big and small — the work is done collectively by all donors, big and small. More of us coming together to support our community is where our strength lies as a community. So, thank you — keep the fives, tens and twenties coming!
Many of the nonprofits worked hard to do their part. We explain in our annual kick-off orientation that Santa Cruz Gives is a partnership. The platform we provide and the strong promotional campaign underwritten by Good Times and other local media partners (noted below) is like a wave, and the nonprofit must surf it to the best of their ability by reaching out to their networks to ask, remind, and encourage them to join the heartwarming “funraising” scene that is the Santa Cruz Gives website!
In the future we hope Santa Cruz Gives will be on the year-end to-do list of all who are privileged to help neighbors in need. Until then, thanks a million!
And to all a healthy, joyous new year.
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