For as long as I can remember, I”™ve been passionate about paying my good fortunes forward. Whether by volunteering my time, donating goods and services or cutting a check for a cause, I knew giving back was the right thing to do.
Plus, it feels good. Seeing the joy, excitement, appreciation and every other positive emotion on the face of the person I”™m helping ”” or even imagining what that would be ”” is an indescribable feeling. Knowing that I had some small part in the wellbeing of someone in my community is incredible.
Fortunately, I”™ve worked with companies that hold this same philosophy. Regardless of how you give, the impact is profound in supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities ”” and businesses play an integral role.
The act of giving back to your community, no matter what it entails, and making someone”™s day is such a beautiful yet overlooked act. Often, we tend to take these services for granted, or believe that other people will get these important jobs done. But when you put yourself out there and experience the joys of giving back firsthand, your whole perspective changes.
Deepened Need
While philanthropy is something we should all care about all year, every year, coming out of the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic the needs are even greater for nonprofits in our communities.
According to research group Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, more than 33% of nonprofits in the U.S. are at risk of closure within two years as a result of financial strains from Covid-19. The toll is not purely financial ”” businesses also need to recover from the mental toll of this past year and increased stresses on workers, many of whom were on the front lines of the pandemic.
Feeling the kindness of a community in their corner is exactly what”™s needed at a time like this and creates a positive ripple effect that can spread in the best possible ways.
Speaking Out
Nonprofits, too, need to share their needs more widely so individuals, business and foundations can rise up to help.
According to the National Council of Nonprofits, in times like these policymakers are making fast decisions that could help or hurt the work of a nonprofit for a decade or more. Advocacy is not an option for nonprofits; it”™s a requirement right now. Without collective nonprofit advocacy, nonprofits would have been left out of the major federal relief legislation.
And it will be key at the state and local levels, as these governments set up programs and slash others as state and local budgets take a hit in the months ahead. Nonprofits need to have a seat at the table as local, state, and federal governments set policies for relief and later turn to recovery, as well as a loud voice among the very people around them that can help at every level.
Chance for Change
While I can”™t solve every problem, I try to be part of anything I can do to help. That”™s why when I was asked to manage the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund, I was honored to take the opportunity to combine my passion for helping the community with my talent for managing money.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a buzzword in recent years, but I believe it”™s important that we see this less as a trend and more as a moral imperative.
Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund was established 22 years ago, long before CSR was a trendy term, to provide financial support to not-for-profit organizations through a grant process. Since its inception we have distributed over $1.2 million to not-for-profit agencies in New York State and Pennsylvania and we”™re still giving. Even though this program has been around for more than two decades, many donors and nonprofits are unaware of this valuable resource.
We couldn”™t do what we do alone. It is the generosity and commitment of individuals, families and corporations that enables us to support the variety of ever-changing needs in our communities. There is no time quite like the present to assess your ability to make a difference. Find a cause that aligns with your values, speaks to your heart and fuels your passion. If we all commit to doing one small thing to help, in our work and personal lives, we will make a big impact where it matters most: in our own backyards.
And should a nonprofit be in need of resources like those of the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund, there”™s good news. Grant applications are being accepted through March 1.
Please head to http://www.tompkinscharitablegift.org/index.htm for details and to apply.
Stacie Mastin manages the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund and is a wealth advisor for Tompkins Financial Advisors, which has locations in New York”™s Hudson Valley region, Western and Central New York and Southeastern Pennsylvania.
