Miami-area nonprofits need your help. How to donate on Give Miami Day 2022
Give Miami Day, one of the country’s largest annual giving events, is back with a record number of nonprofits this year.
With more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations asking for donations this year, Give Miami Day 2022 needs to raise at least $20 million within 24 hours on Thursday, Nov. 17, to reach its goal, a figure it surpassed last year by a landslide.
“I hope Give Miami Day creates an undeniable sense of unity that only comes when an entire community joins boldly together to lift up those who fight for a stronger, more equitable Miami. Unity brings excitement, excitement drives awareness and awareness drives the giving of talents and treasures,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation, which created Give Miami Day. “I believe this Give Miami Day will be the best ever not just because of the platform we have to help organizations raise funds, but because we are weaving a great story about the power of philanthropy that will outlive us all.”
Some of Miami’s most iconic buildings — the Freedom Tower, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Frost Museum of Science, Miami Worldcenter — and the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables will turn purple (The Miami Foundation and Give Miami Day’s signature color) on Thursday to encourage the philanthropic spirit that has helped Give Miami Day raise more than $100 million for hundreds of nonprofits since 2012, its first year.
Early giving starts Monday
If you’re new to South Florida or just need a refresher, The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day is a 24-hour online fundraiser where anyone can become a philanthropist simply by clicking an amount they want to donate to their favorite charitable organizations.
All of the participating nonprofits have been verified by The Miami Foundation and include organizations that support health, education, the environment, housing, the arts, women, Black equity, LGBTQ equity, animal care and civic, economic and spiritual services.
Give Miami Day starts at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, and ends at 11:59 p.m. that same day. However, you don’t have to wait until then to make your donation. The online portal that accepts donations opens at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14.
Last year, Give Miami Day raised a record $33.4 million while celebrating its 10th anniversary. By comparison, it raised $1.1 million in its first year in 2012. The money helps Miami-area nonprofits, large and small, support their efforts in the community.
Feeding South Florida, for example, noted on its Give Miami Day page that last year’s contributions helped to provide 2.5 million meals throughout Miami-Dade, “with a focus on nutritious food for several children backpack programs and academic pantries for students in need,” its website said.
“Food and community are at the heart of what we do and our goal this year is to guarantee all families enjoy a warm holiday meal,” said Paco Vélez, the president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. “Give Miami Day comes at the perfect time as the holidays quickly approach and ensures all families can share in this tradition. We appreciate it when our Miami community takes action on Give Miami Day and supports Feeding South Florida.”
For the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, Give Miami Day helps “support the mentoring, education and social programs we provide for area youth at our Clubs every day,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, the organization’s president.
Area Stage Company, a theater company in South Miami, is trying to raise funds for its Inclusion Theater Project, aimed at children and teens with autism and developmental disabilities. The state cut its funding, leading to about 225 children on a waiting list. Prior to the funding cuts, the program accommodated 300 children for free.
Give Miami Day also helps the Greater Miami Jewish Federation “fund agencies locally — including Jewish day schools, synagogue religious schools and Jewish community centers, as well as numerous social-service programs to care for those in need in Miami,” according to its giving page.
For Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, all of this year’s Give Miami Day proceeds will go directly to its Services for the Elderly programs in Miami-Dade County. The program “operates 11 congregate meals sites, scattered from Homestead all the way up to Sunny Isles.”
Wish Book, run by Miami Herald Charities, raised more than $21,000 last year on Give Miami Day, a record for the nonprofit that has helped South Florida’s neediest families for more than 40 years.
“Give Miami Day has been instrumental in kicking-off the giving season and the Wish Book Program initiates its momentum on that day,” said Roberta DiPietro, the Wish Book coordinator for Miami Herald Charities. “Our program, which officially launches on Thanksgiving, has seen increased donations on Give Miami Day over the years and we expect our generous donors to continue to support the needy in our community, especially through the holidays.”
The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald are also raising money for their Impact Journalism Fund to help expand reporting on critical local issues.
A look at Give Miami Day nonprofits
While you can search for a nonprofit by name, keyword or ZIP code on the Give Miami Day website, there’s another way to help find a cause you care about.
Give Miami Day’s website this year groups participating nonprofits into nine categories: animals; arts and culture; community care; economic and community development; education and youth; environment; equity, advocacy, and civic engagement; faith-based; and health and wellness.
Each category will have its own Bonus Pool, “whose funds will be distributed evenly across all qualifying organizations in that category,” according to the website.
Here’s a breakdown on the categories:
▪ The “Animals” category includes organizations that focus on improving the lives of animals in the region, including wildlife conservation, veterinary organizations and zoos. Some of the nonprofits you’ll find in this section include the Humane Society of Greater Miami, Wildlife Rescue of Dade County, Zoo Miami Foundation, the Miami Veterinary Foundation and SoBe Cats.
▪ “Arts and Culture” includes organizations that boost community access to the arts and the “distribution of ideas to foster a more vibrant cultural ecosystem in Greater Miami,” according to the website. Some of the nonprofits you’ll find in this section include Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, FilmGate Miami, the Miami Foundation’s Music Access Miami, and Miami City Ballet.
▪ “Community Care” includes organizations that provide “basic human needs services and social support services” including but not limited to food access, disaster support, and housing, according to the website. Some of the nonprofits you’ll find in this section include Wish Book, the Miami Diaper Bank, Farm Share, Camillus House, the Homeless Trust, and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind.
▪ The “Economic & Community Development” category includes organizations that the website says are working to make Greater Miami a “more inclusive place to live and work.” Nonprofits you’ll find in this section include Goodwill South Florida, the Pierre Toussaint Leadership & Learning Center, Miami Homes for All, and the Miami-Dade Transit Alliance.
▪ The “Education and Youth” category spotlights nonprofits that provide services and resources to youth and families. This includes schools, as well as organizations such as the MagicWaste Youth Foundation, The Kiwanis of Little Havana Foundation, Miami Marlins Foundation, the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, Boy Scouts of America, and The Children’s Movement of Florida.
▪ “The “Environment” category focuses on organizations that are working to protect the environment and increase the region’s resilience to climate change and other issues. Here you’ll find nonprofits such as Friends of the Everglades, Miami Waterkeeper, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
▪ In the “Equity, Advocacy, & Civic Engagement” section, you’ll find nonprofits that Give Miami Day says are advocating “important issues driving our region to a more equitable future including organizations focused on increasing public engagement in civic life here in Greater Miami.” Here you’ll find organizations such as Code/Art, the Mom Economy, the Black Collective, the Cherry Bar Foundation, Engage Miami, Miami Beach Pride and Equality Florida Institute.
▪ The “Faith-based” category includes all houses of worship and organizations that provide faith-based and interfaith services within Greater Miami. This is where you’ll find Temple Israel of Greater Miami, Greater Miami Youth for Christ, and Impact City FC.
Take note that the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami are under the Community Care section.
▪ The “Health & Wellness” category includes organizations that are working to improve health outcomes in the community through health services, wellness access, health research and education. Nonprofits you’ll find here include Community Health of South Florida, Make-A-Wish, Baptist Health Foundation, Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation, 305 Pink Pack, and the YMCA of South Florida.
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To Donate
What: The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day 2022 is raising donations for more than 1,000 local nonprofits.
When: The donation portal opens at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14, for early giving. Give Miami Day starts at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, with the donation portal closing at 11:59 p.m.
How: To find a nonprofit and to donate, visit givemiamiday.org. The minimum gift amount is $25.
