East Texas Giving Day kicks off at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29th with 362 participating nonprofits hoping to benefit from the generosity of donors from across the region.
East Texas Giving Day, powered by East Texas Communities Foundation, is an 18-hour giving event that takes place virtually at www.EastTexasGivingDay.org .
Donors can participate by going online and donating $10 or more from any device that can access the internet including; desktop computers, mobile phones or tablets.
“Great things can happen when we all work toward a common goal,” said Holly McFarlin, Public Relations Director of East Texas Communities Foundation. “Giving Day provides that magic spark needed to unite us. Every financial donation and volunteer hour pledged is a catalyst for good in our community.”
A pillar of ETCF’s mission is to provide simple ways for donors to achieve their charitable goals. By providing an 18-hour online fundraising event, ETCF provides the public an opportunity to donate both financially and pledge volunteer hours to a variety of nonprofits through one convenient online platform.
“One of the most attractive components of Giving Day is its convenience,” said McFarlin. “Donors can access the donation portal from any Wi-Fi-enabled device, including their smart phones.” Data collected in 2024 showed that more than half of all donations on the giving day platform were made on mobile devices.”
Many of the nonprofits have worked with community partners to provide match funds. Combined, the nonprofits have just at $1 Million in matching funds available through the East Texas Giving Day website. Donors that give any time before midnight on April 29th, to an organization with a match, have the opportunity to double their donation when processed through the giving day website. All match amounts on the giving day website are dollar-for-dollar matches.
“Unlocking these matching funds is critical to the nonprofits,” said McFarlin. “Donors have a unique opportunity to double their impact thanks to these very generous partnerships.”
Donors have the option of getting involved in the fundraising themselves by creating fundraising pages that benefit their favorite nonprofits. “Fundraising pages provide the public an opportunity to be an active participant in the Giving Day experience,” said McFarlin. “If you feel passionately about a local charity, this is your chance to get involved. You can create a fundraising page, tell your story about the nonprofit and share that with your friends and family either by social media, text or email.” Funds raised through donations to fundraising pages go to the charity to help fulfil their mission.
To create a fundraising page, donors can select any participating nonprofit at www.EastTexasGivingDay.org, create a donor profile and complete a few simple questions. “Fundraising pages have proven to elevate awareness and help nonprofits reach their overall campaign goals,” said McFarlin. “Last year these pages made a huge impact on the nonprofits and gave a voice to their most loyal advocates.”
In 2024, East Texas Giving Day raised over $3.55 million for participating nonprofits. “Last year proved to be our most successful fundraising year-to-date,” said McFarlin. “Our hope this year is that the public steps up and gives back in a big way to help our communities. Each donation is important.” Ongoing updates about the event will be posted on ETCF’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SimplifiedGiving and the giving day website https://www.easttexasgivingday.org/index.php.
About ETCF.org East Texas East Texas Communities Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving 32 counties in East Texas. The Foundation distributed $19.9 million in grants in 2024 and currently manages over $137 million in over 445 unique charitable funds which support non-profit organizations and student scholarships. The Foundation, which was formed in 1989, has awarded over $157 million in grants and scholarships since its inception. Philanthropy builds community and changes lives. East Texas Communities Foundation supports philanthropy by offering simple ways for donors to achieve their charitable goals.
