By Michael Kelly, AliveTampaBay Correspondent
Tuesday marks the annual Give Day Tampa Bay event, a 24-hour online charitable giving challenge designed to help area nonprofits. From midnight to 11:59 p.m. GiveDay.org will be live and area residents are encouraged to support causes in their local communities. Hosted by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, over 500 nonprofits are registered with programs helping education, animal welfare, the environment, the arts, and many more.
Marlene Spalten, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said in a news release: “Give Day Tampa Bay is an opportunity for people who want to help, but may not know how they can support local nonprofits . . . during the 24 hours of Give Day, there’s a focus on the collective power of giving and doing good together to make a positive impact on our community.”
Give Day is presented and hosted by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. USAmeriBank is the Give Day Premier Sponsor and WEDU is the Give Day Media Partner.
More than $2 million was raised for nearly 600 Tampa Bay area nonprofits last year and this year the Community Foundation is hoping for continued success. The minimum donation is $5; all donations are tax deductible and remain in the in the Tampa Bay area. Nonprofits in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties are participating in Give Day this year. All donations – less a small credit card processing fee – will count towards the nonprofit for which it is intended. The Community Foundation does not keep any money donated on Give Day.
This year, donors will have a new opportunity to help local charities.. From April 18 to May 1, donations made to an organization’s page will count toward the leader board and event totals. In addition, donations from the public will be boosted from corporate sponsors with a prize pool of $50,000 being dispersed as area nonprofits earn a chance to win monetary awards based on their donations totals.
The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay was founded in 1990 and connects donors, nonprofits, community and business leaders, professional advisors, volunteers and residents across the bay area. In its short history, it has enabled donors to award more than $190 million across the country.
WEDU PBS will stream Give Day live on wedu.org and giveday.org from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The stream will include interviews and presentations of some of the nonprofits participating that day. Also, giveday.org also lists the area nonprofits you can help with a donation.
Marlene Spalten, Community Foundation of Tampa Bay president & CEO, with Susan Howarth, WEDU president & CEO. Photo courtesy of Tacy Briggs-Troncoso.