Many nonprofits hope Giving Tuesday gives them a boost during COVID-19

(FOX 2) - Now that Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are a wrap for 2020, nonprofits are hoping your attention turns to Giving Tuesday. The day is an opportunity to help organizations that serve their community.

Giving Tuesday is extra important this year to help make sure nonprofits are able to continue their mission, which many have been greatly challenged by COVID-19. Many of the important fundraising events have been canceled this year because of the pandemic. 

For example, the Ronald McDonald House Charities Detroit provides housing and support at little or no cost to families around the globe who have a child receiving medical care in Metro Detroit and their organization’s bottom line has been impacted by the pandemic.

"We’ve been grateful that some corporate partners have really stepped up to help us out but we are behind on fundraising this year because of these events being canceled," said Nicky Bates. "We’re probably down about 30% of our budget this year."

Another organization hurt by the pandemic is Gilda’s Club, which provides programs at no cost to cancer patients and their family members.

"Our fundraisers certainly were virtual this year but they were different in that the dollars were not quite as much," said Laura Varon Brown, former director of Gilda's Club.

The key to Giving Tuesday is to give to a nonprofit that does so much for the community.

"For Giving Tuesday, we’re asking people to contribute to our Feed the Need campaign," said Bates. "Any contribution makes a huge difference."

"Giving Tuesday, again, is just another layer of support to help nonprofits that are really struggling, because they're still serving. But we're serving in a whole different delivery model," Varon Brown said. 

And that commitment to service won’t be stifled by a pandemic.

"No matter what we do, we will serve fully and figure out the rest later," Van Brown said.