Get Ready for #GivingTuesday

Nov. 29 is #GivingTuesday, and the Nonprofit Institute at College of Southern Maryland and Southern Maryland Gives are joining forces for a celebration of social impact.

Two gatherings in the region will provide a venue to join philanthropists, nonprofits, foundations, businesses, social entrepreneurs, and volunteers to experience a fun evening of sharing stories and mingling with others in the region who are making a difference in their community.

The St. Mary’s County celebration is set from 3 to 7 pm at the Olde Town Pub in Leonardtown. The pub is donating 10 percent of its sales from the entire day, so head over and have a meal, knowing that everything you buy is helping out the region.

The Charles County celebration is set from 5 to 7 pm at the Red Oak Bistro in La Plata. The bistro is donating 10 percent of its happy hour sales to the cause, so have a drink, get an appetizer, or enjoy a delicious meal.

At each event, the organizers will be collecting business cards from the nonprofits that are represented there. At the end of the event, three cards will be drawn and the donations will be split among the three organizations that are drawn.

#GivingTuesday is celebrated across the country on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, spinning off the of the widely recognized shopping days Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The giving event kicks off the charitable season, when many people are ready to focus on giving for the holidays and the end of the year. Southern Maryland Gives is another way to contribute to the company, and it allows people to donated to a specific project, right near their homes.

Southern Maryland Gives is an online fundraising platform sponsored by the Nonprofit Institute. It was created to foster the spirit of keeping it local by giving back to the Southern Maryland community.

Donating online through Southern Maryland Gives connects local people with local nonprofit organizations who provide services and meet critical needs in our area. People can learn about the nonprofits serving our area, make a donation to support their overall mission, or to fund a specific fundraising project. Donors can choose from a growing pool of more than 60 local nonprofits and more than 30 specific projects.

Through Southern Maryland Gives, donors have given more than $15,000 to local organizations.

The Nonprofit Institute firmly believes strong nonprofits equal strong communities. Donating online via Southern Maryland Gives helps organizations focus on providing services and meeting critical needs in our area and allows people to learn about the nonprofits serving our area, make a donation to support their overall mission or to fund a specific fundraising project.

To see more about the organization, like Southern Maryland Gives on Facebook or you can follow Southern Maryland Gives on Twitter @SoMDGives.

About the Nonprofit Institute

The Institute was launched in 2012 for the sole purpose of helping area nonprofit organizations become stronger by providing training, networking opportunities, and special programs.

The Nonprofit Institute provides many programs designed to meet an organization’s interests and needs. These programs include:

• NPI Advisory Council
• Executive Director Forums
• Volunteer SoMD & SoMD Gives
• Volunteer Coordinators meetings
• Affinity advocacy meetings
• Annual Conference
• Free Experience, Advice and Insight

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.