Local LGBT organizations participated in #GivingTuesday, an annual global event held the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and following popular shopping days Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Organizations posted options for donating on social media to promote the Nov. 29 event.
Throughout the day, the William Way LGBT Community Center received donations from the community while board members matched with a $4,900 pool. The center’s Facebook page featured periodic updates of each donation. Posts included the names of each donor, the amount donated and the name of the William Way staff member who matched the donation. The organization raised $5,862 from 61 donors with a total of $10,762 raised, including the matching donations.
Executive director Chris Bartlett said these funds will keep the doors of William Way open 365 days a year and “support the full diversity of programs.”
“For us, #GivingTuesday is an opportunity to bring in many new donors that have never given to the center before and to be able to match their gift and double its power to support our mission,” Bartlett said. “For many folks, it’s a moment after Thanksgiving to think about their appreciation for the community center and the difference it makes in their lives and to be able to invest in it.”
Equality Pennsylvania, an organization dedicated to advancing equality and opportunity for LGBT people in the state, set a goal to raise $3,000, after raising $1,000 last year on #GivingTuesday.
“We had to really challenge ourselves this year because there was a lot of work to do,” said Levana Layendecker, deputy executive director.
Equality Pennsylvania already reached the $3,000 goal by Monday night. On #GivingTuesday, the organization received more than $5,000 in donations, with a matching donor doubling the amount to more than $10,000.
Layendecker said the average donation was $40 and that “giving contributions [supporters] can afford makes a big difference when you add it all up.”
“With what’s happening in politics, people realize that there’s a lot of work to do in advocacy [and] equality,” Layendecker said. “It feels really great to know that there are so many people out there who support LGBT equality and who want to remain visible and make sure we are being vigilant in protecting our human rights.”