As we embark on this year’s fundraiser for 63 local nonprofits, we can all be grateful that 2024 is the first year in quite a while without a community-wide crisis. While most years don’t have a pandemic, a flood, or a recession — for many of our neighbors, every year is a challenge.
Some of the organizations who are participating in Santa Cruz Gives work to provide essentials such as food and shelter for the neediest. Others elevate the quality of life for all residents to provide what government and for-profit enterprises do not: programs that meet our aspirational hopes and dreams—for example, arts and education that are affordable. Other organizations work to improve specific areas such as the environment, healthcare, animal welfare, et cetera.
Whatever areas of community improvement spark your interest, there is certain to be a nonprofit in the “Gives” campaign whose work aligns with your goals. The groups are organized by category on the SantaCruzGives.org website, though most of them cover at least two categories. For example, the Teen Kitchen Project teaches volunteer youth to cook professionally in a commercial kitchen, and the meals are delivered to housebound seniors in need. They serve Youth, Seniors, and provide Education and Nutrition. We tag the relevant categories for each nonprofit.
The online platform is the key to this fundraiser. It is now easy to learn about a variety of nonprofit work being done in the community and for donors to use a shopping cart to enter a dollar amount for each organization of interest. The minimum donation is $5. You can do that, right?!
Our hope is that you will use this site to learn about the great local work being done, and will support the organizations that inspire you. You might even get a bit carried away when you read some profile pages and view some of the videos, and realize how amazing the people who work at these organizations are to devote their time to serving our community. Many are volunteer-driven.
Santa Cruz Gives has now raised more than $5 million for local projects. Beyond the funds raised, the nonprofits receive training from the Volunteer Center and public exposure from Good Times and other media at no cost. The Volunteer Center works throughout the campaign and all year to assist local nonprofits with best practices to sustain their operation and also provides volunteers. You might consider becoming a volunteer for one of the participating organizations.
The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County helps Santa Cruz Gives to raise matching funds and operational funds from philanthropists, and also serves in an advisory role, as the online platform is still a relatively new way of donating for many.
As past publisher of Good Times, I founded Santa Cruz Gives. The local weekly along with its two partner newspapers — the Press Banner (San Lorenzo Valley) and the Pajaronian (Watsonville) — promotes the campaign with editorial and advertising throughout the six-week campaign. Local radio stations pitch in with spots: KSQD, KZSC, KAZU, KPIG and the Stephens Media Group. Growing Up in Santa Cruz generously donates promotional space, too.
We welcome our newest sponsor, the 1440 Foundation, and extend sincere thanks to our other sponsors who have returned year after year with support:
Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Driscoll’s, Inc., Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, and Wynn Capital Management.
Please consider donating at SantaCruzGives.org through December 31, 2024.
By Jeanne Howard
