For Giving Tuesday, Georgians should continue legacy of supporting nonprofits
Nonprofits are the invisible infrastructure that strengthens our communities and supports people through every stage of life.
Whether we’re relaxing at a local park, enjoying date night at a neighborhood theater, receiving care at a nonprofit clinic, or adopting a new family from an animal rescue, nonprofits are woven into our daily lives.
Of course, they’re also an urgent lifeline in times of crisis: As Georgians contend with cost-of-living increases and cuts to programs like Medicaid, food assistance and Head Start, nonprofits are stepping in to help.
But nonprofits, too, are contending with the challenges of our time: stubborn inflation, escalating needs and cuts to the funding they depend upon.
Those challenges have, in turn, provided us all with an opportunity to give back — and remind us how nonprofits demonstrate, every day, what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Small contributions add up to something powerful
Nonprofits are best known for doing the work of caring for others — helping families find housing, ensuring children have meals, caring for the sick and elderly and standing beside those who need a second chance.
But they do far more than deliver “care-oriented” services — they are engines of community vitality.
They strengthen neighborhoods through youth and senior programs, safeguard parks and waterways, and enrich our lives through arts, culture, and animal welfare.
As important economic catalysts, their impact ripples outward: They employ thousands, attract visitors, and help maintain the safe, welcoming places where we all want to live and work.
That’s why, now more than ever, we need to come together — for the things we love about our communities and for the organizations that keep them whole.
When we act collectively, small contributions add up to something powerful. By working together, we find our strength.
Though nonprofits often work quietly in the background, Georgia has come together each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to celebrate them out loud for GAgives on GivingTuesday.
This year, we’re asking Georgians to stand with the nonprofits you love by giving boldly and talking loudly about it.
Use your social media and personal networks for good: Encourage others to give, volunteer time, share expertise, and lend a voice. Each act, no matter how small, builds momentum — spreading kindness, resilience, and hope from one community to the next.
Think about the cause you support and donate generously
And to every Georgian who volunteers, donates, or simply champions a cause: Thank you. Your generosity keeps the heart of our state pumping.
GAgives on GivingTuesday — that started Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 2 — offers every Georgian a simple, powerful way to take part. At GAgives.org, you can easily find nonprofits near you using just a ZIP code, then make a gift — large or small — that goes straight to work.
Last year alone, Georgians contributed more than $33 million through this campaign, part of nearly $200 million given by generous people just like you since the 2012 launch of the GAgives campaign.
So as your calendar fills with holiday tasks, pause to ask: How have nonprofits shaped my life? Which ones make my community stronger, safer, and more vibrant? Then give — your time, your voice and your dollars. Ask others to join you.
Together, we can sustain these essential organizations and help them meet the moment with strength and optimism.
When Georgians give, we invest in our shared future. Let’s show the true power of unity by rallying for GAgives on GivingTuesday — and keep nonprofits at the heart of community life.
Karen Beavor is CEO of The Georgia Center for Nonprofits.
