This year, nonprofits have been hit hard by requests from more clients than they saw during the pandemic, prompting Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) to start their annual funding drive, called North Texas Giving Day, early this year.
Realizing the need for additional giving, North Texas Giving Day organizers kicked off this year’s drive on September 1 and will run it through September 22. More than 3,000 nonprofits representing 20 counties are looking for help.
Many people are stretching their budgets due to inflation and high gas prices. Those who lost government assistance after pandemic relief stopped are turning to nonprofits for help, putting a strain on community resources.
“Over the past two years, fundraising has changed quite a bit. Many nonprofits had to put in-person fundraisers on hold or pivot their models,” Chris McSwain, director of community engagement at CFT, told The Dallas Express.
At the same time, it spotlighted the need for events like North Texas Giving Day, where donors could participate and give back virtually as well as share the opportunity to give with their friends and family through social media.
One of the largest foundations in the country, CFT manages over 1,000 philanthropic accounts for individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations and has given around $2 billion in awards since it was established in 1953.
“Fundraising has been particularly challenged this past year due to inflation and market fluctuations, but what North Texas Giving Day aims to do is give access to anybody who wants to be a giver,” said McSwain. “You don’t have to be a huge donor for your gift to make an impact. In fact, it is the collective giving that creates the impact.”
In 2021, the Communities Foundation of Texas distributed 26% of its grants to education. The remaining 74% went to housing and human services, health and scientific research, community improvement, religion, art and culture, youth, and recreation.
North Texas Giving Day has poured more than $441 million back into the community since 2009, McSwain said.
“The money raised on North Texas Giving Day goes directly to the nonprofits that are doing amazing work to make Dallas and the surrounding communities a better place to live and work for everyone.”