Local nonprofits hope GivingTuesday spurs donations

GivingTuesday is Dec. 3, and area nonprofit organizations are hoping it will motivate people to donate.

GivingTuesday is an annual worldwide event that started at the 92nd Street Y in New York in 2012 as “a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world,” according to the GivingTuesday website.

“GivingTuesday is all about celebrating each and every single act of generosity we have to offer,” the group’s website says. “Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor out, or showing up for an issue or people we care about, we each have something to contribute.”

Area nonprofits have come to see GivingTuesday as an important fundraising tool.

GiGi’s Playhouse Long Island is partnering for a second year on a fundraiser with the Tap Room in Patchogue. Thirty percent of that day’s proceeds from noon to 11 p.m. will go to GiGi’s Playhouse, which provides services to children with Down syndrome.

Last year’s event raised $1,000, GiGi’s Playhouse president Mike Cirigliano said.

“We’re hoping to double that since this is our second year,” Cirigliano said.

GivingTuesday is also part of the fundraising plans at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport.

The theater is looking to raise $10,000 for scholarships for children to attend its performing arts school. Those who donate $500 or more will receive two tickets to the Gateway’s production of “White Christmas: The Musical,” which opens Nov. 29.

Canine Companions, which trains and provides service dogs to disabled veterans and others, is running a “Black Lab Friday” fundraising campaign.

The campaign for the nonprofit organization, whose Northeast center is in Medford, starts on Friday, Nov. 27, and continues through GivingTuesday. It aims to raise $150,000. Donations will be matched up to a total of $150,000.

SEPA Mujer in Patchogue, a nonprofit that provides assistance to Latina women and girls, is holding a virtual fundraiser. People can donate through the GivingTuesday link on the SEPA Mujer website.

At the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery in Brookhaven hamlet, this will be at least the fourth year the nonprofit has participated in GivingTuesday. It typically brings in between $10,000 and $15,000, executive director Sally Wellinger said.

CEED’s recent GivingTuesday appeals have taken a humorous approach.

Last year’s fundraising appeals were “written” by several animals, including a possum.

Meanwhile, Patchogue-Medford Youth & Community Services is looking for an area business willing to match the donations the organization receives on GivingTuesday, executive director Samantha Wood said.

Save the Great South Bay in Babylon is looking to raise $10,000 for shellfish restoration through its GivingTuesday campaign, which is part of its year-end fundraising campaign.