Today is the fourth annual Give OUT Day, a national day of giving for the LGBTQ community. Any day is a good day to give, of course, but doing so en masse like this helps show the power of our community and allies.
Did you know that fewer than 5 percent of LGBT people give direct financial support to LGBTQ organizations? (That’s according to research from the Horizons Foundation, which is running the event this year.) Help remedy this by donating online through GiveOUTDay.org to one of the many local and national LGBTQ nonprofits participating, including arts groups, social services agencies, advocacy groups, sports leagues, community centers, and health care nonprofits. You can search for your favorite group by name or category.
Obviously, the amount one can give varies from person to person—but if you’re thinking of making any charitable donations this year, even in a small amount, why not make them today? Organizations receiving donations from the greatest number of unique donors may win additional cash prizes, so even small donations have an impact. If you can’t give financially, please help by sharing information about the event on social media.
Since it was launched in 2013, over 15,000 individual Give OUT Day donors have contributed more than $2.4 million and supported more than 500 different organizations across the U.S. As always, any donations you make are at your own risk, and I encourage you to read all the details on the Give OUT Day site. Here are two FAQs, however, that I thought worth repeating here:
How much of my donation is received by the nonprofit?
100% of the proceeds of your donation go to the receiving nonprofit after a 3.75% and $0.35 per transaction processing fee charged by Click & Pledge, which provides the technology for the event. This fee is 1.25% LESS than what has been charged in previous Give OUT Days. Horizons takes no percentage and no fee at all from donations made.Does my donation go directly to the nonprofit I have chosen?
Yes, the nonprofit you selected will receive your donation by direct deposit to its bank account within 48 business hours.
I hope you’ll consider participating! Remember to involve your kids, too, in gathering their pennies, helping to choose an organization, or just watching you make the donation while you explain why it matters).