Friends and family gather to celebrate the union of a happy young couple. Most guests excitedly anticipate sharing in the festivities, but going to weddings and other celebrations can be a trying, even dreaded, experience for people struggling with addiction or in recovery.  Temptation abounds from a rehearsal dinner with wine and beer on tap, to a cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing with an open bar and champagne at each table for numerous toasts. 

Drinking games played by friends and fraternity brothers led a sibling to reflect, "I've been sober for three and a half years, and I generally avoid all bars and exposure to drugs or alcohol. I stay away, but I have to live a normal life as well. There was no question that I would be there for my brother's wedding, but I didn't realize how much people would be drinking. For them it's the norm. It's how they let loose, and as non-addicts, it's not a problem. Most of these guys are extremely successful. Their drinking doesn't derail their lives. I understand all that, but at one point, I needed to step away for a while."  

Narconon Louisiana New Life Retreat is a treatment center dedicated to helping people overcome addiction for good. Their centers provide the stability and comfort to help people get free from addiction and rebuild their lives. The staff at Narconon are with clients every step of the way.  Donations to their YouHelp Drug Free for Good campaign go directly towards funding scholarships for people in need of treatment.  

From alcohol to opiates, experts recommend that those struggling with addiction stay away from any substance that can trigger their using until they are on solid ground with their recovery.  AA, NA and other 12-Step programs suggest 30 meetings in 30 days to get started, and then continuing with several meetings a week – preferably for life. At what point can people "risk" being exposed to alcohol, drugs and other addictive substances that they might be exposed to at happy family functions? 

Narconon has a wonderful article on their website with tips for lasting sobriety.  (https://www.narcononnewliferetreat.org/blog/tips-for-a-lasting-sobriety.html) 

Nonprofits, government agencies and businesses in the field can find grants for their mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs in the GrantWatch.com database, and if you don't find a grant you're eligible for or until you get a grant, a great option while you continue to look for a grant is to be proactive like Narconon and put up your own crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp.com.  

Here is on grant of many, currently listed on GrantWatch.for Alcoholism Prevention and Education Programs for USA Nonprofits, Deadline: Ongoing

Grants to USA nonprofits for programs in the area of alcoholism prevention and education. The Foundation seeks to encourage prevention programs and activities with an emphasis on high-risk populations. Additionally, the Foundation's mission is to focus its efforts on educating the public that alcoholism is a respectable, treatable disease from which people can and do recover, and to continue fighting to reduce and eliminate the stigma that is associated with the disease of alcoholism.

How does one hold on to their abstinence and stick with their program in the face of bottles and bottles of alcohol flow so freely for days on end?  

The best course of action, before going to a wedding or event and facing any of that is to shore up one's resolve by attending meetings and/or counseling sessions. If possible, have supports in place in advance like a friend or sponsor on call who you can speak with if you start to feel that you can't cope with all the temptation you're facing. 

Tracey Shipley, a youth and family counselor specializing in addictions and family communication, recommends honesty and openness, facings one's addictions head on and getting to the root of the problem. A strong advocate for 12-step programs, including Al Anon, Shipley warns in her article, "Addiction and the Five Stages of Grief"  that people will often be in denial or think that they can "bargain" and choose a drug that's not as destructive. Instead of drinking vodka, they can have a beer. Instead of opioids, they can have marijuana, but that's not the case when it comes to addiction. 

"As drug counselors have discovered, the abuse of drugs may begin as a way to fit in with peers and have a good time but is often exacerbated by the desire to escape from feelings of sadness, incompetence, lack of purpose, insecurities, guilt, shame and other negative emotions." 

The Five Stages of Grief:

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

"Mourning our ability to control our impulses that lead to unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle both for ourselves and our loved ones can feel devastating. But the moment we allow ourselves to go through the stages of grief we begin to accept that there is life beyond addiction.

"The first step for avoiding or dealing with addiction is finding Truth. Finding our inner truth and what makes us truly happy in life keeps us balanced and able to live our lives in healthy ways.  Secondly Love.  Feeling compassion for ourselves and others gives us a sense of purpose and security. We are not alone. Next is commitment toward another person. 

A policeman whose jurisdiction was the San Francisco Bridge explained that he managed to convince 200 out of 202 people perched on the bridge planning to jump to change their mind by reminding them of their commitment to their loved ones.  An extension of the latter two necessities is community.  Surrounding ourselves with healthy people supports our healthy life choices.  It makes it easier for us to tolerate and even work through our pain.

"What is our job in supporting our loved ones struggling with toxic behaviors? How do we support them and assist them in finding their true path to recovery. Begin by understanding that they are struggling.   No one wants to be an addict.  Human nature is the desire to be in control, not to be controlled.  Certainly not to be controlled by destructive behaviors.  Addiction happens when one loses connection to their inner as well as their outer world.  Be their anchor!  Let them know that it is never too late to turn it around and that you will be there throughout their journey." 

Tracey Shipley began working in a drug rehabilitation in 1989. More of her articles appear on her website.         

Find grants for mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs in the GrantWatch.com database, and if you don't find a grant your organization is eligible for or until you get a grant, be proactive and put up your own crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp.com. 

About the Author: The author is a staff writer for GrantWatch.com

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Whether a crowdfunding campaign is geared toward a national nonprofit program to help improve the lives of children with autism or an international campaign to rebuild homes to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico or for children get the education they need in third world countries, causes addressing children’s well-being benefit from using the three circles of crowdfunding. 

First Circle: Friends and Family

The first step to building a strong crowdfunding project begins with your friends and family. These personal connections are important to the initial stage of your crowdfunding project to build confidence and trust and impress potential donors that your project is worthy of being supported, and already has some support. 

This first circle of supporters gives your project credibility and traction. Initial supporters indirectly encourage unfamiliar and unconnected viewers to support a project that already has backing.  No one wants to be the first.  People will jump onboard to back a winner. People love to be support success and be on the winning team.

How to Lay the Foundation of Your First Circle 

Because your first circle of supporters already know you and are likely to already be connected with you through phone, text, email, and social media, networking and promotion is rather easy with this group compared to crowdfunding from total strangers. This circle is crucial to building the momentum needed to reach the outer circles of potential supporters. Let’s look at some effective ways to create momentum in your first circle!

In-Person Conversations

Talk to the people you see regularly or schedule a meet-up with friends and family to talk about your project and campaign. Sharing your campaign with them will give you practice and help perfect your pitch. Always treat your personal connections with respect. Tell them about your cause and ask them for contributions within their means.Your passion and excitement can inspire people to contribute and tell their friends and colleagues and so on and so on.The stronger your pitch, the more effective your supporters will be when they share your project with others, and the momentum will help you propel your campaign to success. 

Phone Contacts

Comb through your phone contact list and reach-out. Be considerate. Don’t be in a rush. Whenever possible, take a few minutes to ask them how they’re doing and what’s going on in their lives. Give them a chance to ask how you are, and what you are doing. This is the perfect time to inform them about your crowdfunding project! Let them know how much it means to you. Your confidence and passion will inspire them to support you and tell others to support you, too. Leave personalized messages if you do not make direct contact. 

Email Contacts

Your email contact list is a tool to enlarge your crowdfunding project past the first circle of success. Send personalized emails to your close friends and family members to connect with them. At this stage of your networking, you are not a marketer or shameless promoter! You are building your project from the inside out. Most personal connections want to help you in some way! Remember that you are not putting them out. If they cannot financially support your cause, encourage them to tell their friends and co-workers. This is an indispensable transition to the second circle of your successful crowdfunding project.

Social Media

Connect with every person in your first circle that you can via social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. This will help you establish your online presence and credibility immediately. Not only will social media build your initial support base, it will provide you with a jumping-off point from which you may connect with many more people who are outside of your personal connections.

The Second Circle of Success: Your Community

Potential supporters in your community are important to your crowdfunding project’s success. 

1. For financial support; and
2. To provide traction and credibility when your project extends to digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google plus,YouTube, and much more!

At this point it’s time to start crowdfunding your community.  Focus on building rapport, establishing trust, and conveying momentum to potential supporters. Let’s take a quick look at some of the ways you can inspire people in your community to donate to your crowdfunding project!

How to Lay the Foundation of Your Second Circle

The second circle of your success is your community, where you want to gain as much momentum as possible within your community of acquaintances and strangers. Use previous networking strategies from the first circle, while incorporating new promotional techniques to obtain greater outreach for your crowdfunding project.

Begin by Telling the Story

The second circle of success involves telling a great story to people who don’t know what you are about. Your project will speak for itself, when you provide images and videos. If you don’t know how to begin telling the story of your crowdfunding project, stick to the basics. Give people the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of your project. Include your passion and convey emotion when sharing your story.

Utilize Your Email List

Up to this point in your crowdfunding campaign, you have utilized only a small portion of your email contacts, namely your friends and relatives. Now you are ready to maximize your entire list of email contacts. The majority of this list may include professors, classmates, co-workers, and all other professionals and acquaintances in your personal and professional environment.

Don’t jump and blast emails to these contacts! You must segment this list into manageable similar contacts and customize a few different emails. Send 10 – 15 personalized emails to our community contacts a day. See which emails are most effective and revise your email content. 

Scale Your Social Media

Upload the email addresses of your contacts to Facebook to connect with them. Facebook automatically takes these email addresses and finds each of their corresponding Facebook accounts for you! You may take a list of up to 100 emails a day and input them into your “Find Friends” tab from a .CSV file of the original email addresses. This saves you a lot of time in searching for all of your potential supporters, it builds your social media followers and credibility, and it allows your community to easily share your social media posts and promotions to more people, leading toward the final (third circle) of successful crowdfunding.

Join groups on Facebook, too! There are many individuals and groups online who share your crowdfunding interests. You need to join these groups to enable your posts to reach more followers! Once you have upscaled your Facebook platform, you will be ready to strategize your advancement to the remaining social media platforms.

The Third Circle of Success: The Global Community

The third circle is the final test for your crowdfunding project. If you have successfully rallied the first two circles of your crowdfunding campaign, then you will be in a great position to move forward in the big arena!

Crowdfunding the global community requires much more time, initiative, and strategy. You will be trying to reach supporters through all digital platforms. The secret to success in this final circle is personalizing your connection with online viewers by efficiently telling a moving story.  Customize your posts, messages, and promotions to convey a passionate crowdfunding project.

How to Maximize the Third Circle

To master the third circle of crowdfunding success you need to strategize your methods for each digital platform. Much of your previous support and traction will now allow you to join new groups and forums. With the help of your friends, family, and community you have already financed part of your crowdfunding project and now you can inspire the global community to contribute to your cause.

You cannot enter this circle empty-handed, without followers. This circle is for the crowdfunding projects that have proved their popularity within their community. 

Basic Crowdfunding Etiquette

Do not forget to demonstrate gratitude and humility toward all of your supporters. If someone shares your project with their friends, but does not specifically make a financial contribution, thank them for promoting your project and move forward. While the goal of crowdfunding is to finance your project, the crowdfunding process requires a lot of promotional support to advance toward more donors.

Twitter

This social media platform is extremely important to post updates, news, and campaign information to your followers. More than any other social media platform, Twitter requires consistent maintenance and engagement. Twitter Techniques:  Tweets, Retweets, Follow, Like, Share, and Adding Media.

Facebook

Facebook is a crowdfunding money-maker. Facebook allows you to place ads, boost posts, and network with specific groups.

Upload EMAIL Addresses to Your Social Media Platforms

On Facebook you will find the option for “Friend Requests” and “Find Friends” which will allow you to upload an email list.  This will locate your friends and allow you to add them. Your friends will then get all your project updates to share with the global community. Follow these directions:

1. Create an excel file of your email list
2. Make the first line of the excel file “Email Address”
3. Save it as a CSV file
4. Log on to your Facebook account
5. Click “Friend Requests” and then “Find Friends”
6. On the right side where it says “Add Personal Contacts” click the icon to the far right and log in with whichever platform you prefer
7. Then click “Find Friends”
8. This will direct you to a page that tells you how to save your email list as a CSV. You have already done this, so scroll down and upload your list.
9. Select your contacts and click “Add Friends”
10. Then, “Send invites” (This is optional)

You will also find options to send your posts to a wider audience, for a fee. On Facebook, it’s called “boosting” a post.

Press Releases

Be bold and brazen! Send a press release to local newspapers and TV stations about your efforts in crowdfunding. Your story might pique the interest of a reporter or editor. With a news story about your project in the media, you could see your campaign blow up.

In Conclusion

Now that you’ve contacted your closest friends and family, all contacts, and reached out to the public at large, you’ve completed the circles of success. Remember to continually post your project and keep yourself (and your campaign) in people’s minds by talking and posting about it regularly. Keep sharing it with the people you meet. You never know when you will spark someone’s interest – and you never know who they may know who might become a supporter. 

Contact our crowdfunding mentor at support@YouHelp.com to learn more about crowdfunding your project, or by phone at 888-240-1494. What are you waiting for? Sign up to start a YouHelp.com crowdfunding campaign today!

About the Author: The author is a staff writer for YouHelp.com

You’ve probably seen examples of crowdfunding campaigns gone viral that met their goal in a matter of mere hours or days but the reality is that that is the exception, not the rule. The truth of crowdfunding is that meeting a fundraising goal can be challenging for even the largest nonprofit organization but it can often be near impossible for the smaller nonprofit—such as parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) and schools, for example.  

Given the challenging nature of crowdfunding for these smaller entities, one Jupiter (Florida) elementary school PTO—a licensed 501(c)(3)—thought outside the box. When it became apparent to the PTO board members that the crowdfunding campaign was going to fall short of its goal, the board had to brainstorm in order to come at its goal from a new angle. The ideas they came up with to raise additional money during a school- and community-wide event may give your nonprofit school or parent-teacher organization food for thought. 

Find the Opportunity in Falling Short

In 2015, Jupiter Farms Community Elementary School (JFCES), with an enrollment of just over 500 students, wanted to raise money to build an outdoor track on its campus. The project wasn’t on the radar (or in the budget) for the county school district so the school’s PTO board decided to try crowdfunding to help reach its $25,000 goal. Falling short of that goal, however, meant that the PTO had to ‘up the ante’ during its local community event. 

Try Something New

They formulated a few ideas for the school’s annual Fall festival known as Panther Prowl (the panther is the school mascot), which takes place around Halloween. Open to the public and advertised both on the Facebook page of the local residents group and via simple flyers sent home with every student, Panther Prowl typically brings in a modest profit, but this particular year the stakes were higher. Consequently, the PTO board opted to raise money via some new-to-the-event methods: 

1. Admission fees—it was free for kids and $5 for parents/adult family members;
2. Food trucks—they paid a flat registration fee to park their vehicle and sell food;
3. A baked goods sale—all goodies were prepared by student families and donated for sale; 
4. A pay-per-throw dunk tank—teachers and the principal took turns sitting in it; 
5. A silent auction of themed baskets—one from each classroom, created and filled with donations from class families relevant to the basket theme. 

Believe It and Achieve It

Between crowdfunding and the money generated during Panther Prowl, JFCES managed to completely fund its track with all moneys coming directly from student families, relatives, and friends. While some nonprofits may question how to proceed following a crowdfunding shortfall, the JFCES PTO board took it as a chance to come up with new ways to generate profit during its annual Fall event. It was a gamble that paid off for them and can for your school or PTO if you’re up for the challenge and utilizing the services of a crowdfunding site like YouHelp.com can make accepting and processing donations easier than ever before!

About the Author: Dawn has firsthand experience as a nonprofit volunteer for her local Parent Teacher Organization and was instrumental in assisting with the crowdfunding and community fundraising processes to help her school meet its fundraising goals.

Young mother, Revital Hadad, gave birth to her fourth child three weeks ago. Shortly after giving birth she didn't feel well and underwent a battery of medical tests and was diagnosed with cancer – aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a tumor near her heart. 

Mrs. Hadad and her husband, Rabbi Shalom are dynamic, caring, leaders of the Israeli community in Denver, who have devoted their time and energies to "kiruv" – the Hebrew word for bringing people closer to G-d, helping others, strengthening the communities they live in, and helping people less fortunate to meet their needs. 

Having recently moved from Ocean City, Maryland, they were hired to set up an Israeli synagogue and outreach program for the thousands of Israelis in Denver with no synagogue or religious services, through the Israel Experience and Achdut Israel. Organization leaders express their admiration for the Hadads and their work.

"They have gone above and beyond. They turned their house into both a synagogue and a place where their community is welcome for meals, classes and inspiration."

Shortly before her diagnosis, her husband, Rabbi Shalom Hadad, said in a speech at a Chanukah event, "On Chanukah, we spin the Sivivon, (dreidel/top). When a person spins the top, he doesn't see what's written on it. What is written on the Sivivon? 'A great miracle happened here – there.'

A human being, during the course of life, is like a spinning top (Sivivon). He goes around and around during his life, at work, with his children, everything revolves and spins around very quickly and he doesn't have a chance to enjoy it, then suddenly, when he has a small crisis, a fall, he suddenly can see what's written.., 'A great miracle happened here-there.' 

In essence, in life, we have a lot of miracles. We don't pay attention to them – our children, our families, our livelihood – when do we actually stop for a moment and take the time to contemplate what's written, a great miracle happened here?"  Rabbi Hadad told all present to look inside and appreciate all we have, not knowing that his family was about to face a huge crisis. 

"Revital and I have totally devoted our life for the community. She gives people everything she has," said Rabbi Hadad. "The illness makes her very weak. She's going to need a lot of treatment. We try to be positive." She will need chemotherapy and radiation, as well as expensive medication not covered by insurance. 

The Hadad's have touched the hearts of thousands, and pleas are going out from Denver, Maryland and other communities.

"I write these lines to plead with you on behalf of a remarkable woman, Mrs. Rivkah (Revital) Hadad, a young mother of four small children. She, together with her husband Rabbi Shalom, have opened their hearts and home to the Israeli community here in Denver. With their remarkable warmth, generosity and sincerity of spirit, they are bringing Yidden (Jewish people) closer to Mitzvos (doing good deeds) and service of Hashem Yisborach, (G-d, May He be Blessed)" wrote Rabbi Tzvi Steinberg leader of Congregation Zera Abraham. 

"They are a wonderful family, committed to helping others. Rabbi Hadad is practically paralyzed caring for their children while his wife is in the hospital. They have medical expenses and need help. They have opened their home to the Israeli community and are still running a synagogue with everything going on. I urge everyone to help this family, to help Mrs. Revital Hadad with her medical expenses and to pray for Rivkah bat Ester for a quick and full recovery," said Rabbi Raphael Leban and Rabbi A. Y. Wasserman of the Jewish Experience. 

The Hadads moved to the U.S.A.. from Israel seven years ago.  Prior to moving to Ocean City, they lived in San Jose and Los Angeles, California. 

A campaign has been set up to raise money for medical expenses and the family's needs. "Tzedaka, charity, is called the way of G-d and lets us partner with the Holy One in sustaining the world. Donations can be made through, https://www.youhelp.com/young-mother-of-4-diagnosed-w-lymphoma." The family and community ask that people please donate, pray and share this information with others. 

Further letters from other community spiritual leaders can be viewed on www.helphadadfamily.blogspot.com. 

About the Author: The author is a staff writer for YouHelp.com.

Sources:

In an effort to encourage giving on #GIVINGTUESDAY, YouHelp is giving away a limited edition Free T-shirt:

Did YouHelp Someone Today?

Make your donation today, and be a role model of generosity with this new limited edition Free T-Shirt.

YouHelp thanks contributors with a "shout-out" on social media. Proudly share our post of your donation onto your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn account to your friends, family and crowd to add to the impact of your donation.  When your T-Shirt arrives in December/January, take a selfie and post it again,  Continue to be a role model of generosity.

 With over 100 eligible campaigns to choose from, on the YouHelp platform, you can donate to the fundraiser that reaches your heart, from single moms' empowerment programs, shelters for puppies and people, disaster relief efforts, domestic violence advocacy campaigns, food for the hungry, building schools or providing fresh water to those in need in Colombia. 

All funds raised on YouHelp will go directly to the campaign. YouHelp does not keep any part of your donation. There are no administrative fees charged.  All funds are sent immediately to the campaign, regardless if the complete fundraising goal is met. 

Be a part of the #GivingTuesday movement today and YouHelp will send you the limited edition Free YouHelp T-Shirt when you donate $50 or more. 

After you make your donation, watch for an email from YouHelp for your Free limited edition T-shirt size request and shipping address.  You may also contact us at support@youhelp.com or (888) 240-1494.

About the Author: The author is a staff writer for YouHelp.com

A supermarket that does not need any packaging, a do-it-yourself solar pump for clean drinking water, or "fog nets" that trap the moisture from evening air and morning dew, are just some of the many good green business ideas and nonprofit projects worth supporting.  Sustainability is all about using fewer resources, producing cleaner waste – and less waste – or no waste at all. 

Unfortunately many of these ideas fail in the early stages due to lack of funding. 

Founders and project initiators can use the YouHelp platform to raise funds. Some campaigns provide thank you perks for those who contribute. 

In addition to our carbon footprint, researchers are looking at our “water footprint,” the amount of water it takes to support our lifestyles and our appetites, and they see that it is rising globally. 

Ella Fuksbrauner lived in Colombia during her childhood and has created a project: Sweet Guajira – Dulce Guajira – Finding Drinking Water Solutions, to find sustainable food and water solutions for La Guajira, Colombia. Donations can be made by clicking the donate button. With YouHelp, all donations go directly to the project.  

Fuksbrauner is offering free songs on her CD for donations depending on donation level, giving a cover song for a mere $10 donation, and the whole album plus a tree in their name to those who donate $50. 

The goal of the Sweet Guajira project is to provide a sustainable long-term alternative for the serious drought issue affecting La Guajira. A preliminary independent preemptive investigation will be done first.  

A number of emerging innovative technologies are being explored. “Our aim is to get a 360% view of the situation, which includes assessing potential partners, technical opportunities, and the grassroots narrative. We believe that by helping farmers of the region with technology and knowledge, the water management situation, as well as the local economy will improve, thus organically providing more momentum to solve the crisis,” she said.

“We wish in turn to be able to create the largest possible impact, and help thousands of people in dire need of assistance. Join us in our efforts, help us create a new, independent opportunity for the region!” Fuksbrauner said. 

Fresh water is the most important resource for life on earth. Almost one third of the world is already water stressed. Global climate change and exponential population growth have led to water scarcity and water shortages in major cities, which is continuing to worsen.

Taking into consideration the arid areas of the world and places with polluted and contaminated water, we need to find ways to produce a lot more fresh water.  In Peru alone, 12 million people (40% of the Peruvian population) lack access to clean drinking water and sanitation. 

New ideas for clean water production include technological breakthroughs in creating water from thin air by researchers at UC Berkley, desalinating projects bringing water from the sea to the table, smartgrids, and  lower tech fogcatchers from The Create Water Foundation in Holland, which are already being used effectively at a low cost in Peru to provide clean drinking water and water for crops.

Technology looks at two main ways to alleviate the impending water crises. One is by making water-intensive processes more efficient. The other is by using technology to create fresh water – from filtering saline ocean water to purifying water that was once deemed permanently toxic to pulling water from ‘thin air,’ even in arid climates, technology promises to save water in multiple ways. 

If you want to help pioneer the new technologies, consider contributing to Finding Drinking Water Solutions this #GivingTuesday or any time.  

About the Author: Anna Kucirkova is a freelance writer who also works at Cornerstone University. She can be reached at: anna@cornerstoneuniversity.co

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From raising money for hurricane and earthquake relief to giving books to children in low income families, #GivingTuesday has become a global movement of giving. Giving Tuesday follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and will be celebrated on November 27th, 2018, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving,

 Is your organization poised to make the most of it? 

This global giving movement was built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in over 150 countries around the world.  It inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world. 

This global day of giving, "fueled by the power of social media and collaboration,” according to #GivingTuesday.org, demonstrates how every act of generosity counts, and that they mean even more when we give together. 

#GivingTuesday was created by the team at the for Belfer Center Innovation & Social Impact at the 92^nd Street Y – a cultural center in New York City where they have been bringing people together around the values of service and giving since 1874. 

The Belfer Center brought together a team of influencers and founding partners to collaborate across sectors, offering expertise to launch #GivingTuesday.  They have continued to shape, grow and strengthen the movement, together with leadership support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and generous support from PayPal, with the simple idea, “find a way to give back, then share your idea.”

“#GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.”

Your nonprofit can benefit by joining, if you haven't already.  It's the perfect time to start a YouHelp fundraising campaign.  By joining the #GivingTuesday movement, your giving campaign will be included in their directory to help people find your organization as well as any events you plan for the day. 

YouHelp has joined again this year and YouHelp campaigns can take part with special efforts geared toward #GivingTuesday. 

Social media is a key part of #GivingTuesday communications. It’s also one the of the best ways to engage your donors and community, and to share your organization’s mission and values. Remember to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and #YouHelp on social media when talking about your Your YouHelp campaign.

Ask your friends and colleagues to retweet and share your campaign updates and help you spread awareness about your campaign. You just need to tag them in your post so they can share it.

Tag Giving Tuesday on Twitter @GivingTues, and on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat and they'll also retweet or share your messages. Their Social Media Toolkit gives even more tips and ideas to boost your campaign.

Growing Each Year – Some organizations find large donors who agree to match all donations they receive on Giving Tuesday. These can increase the donation from two to in some case four or five-fold. JP Morgan Chase encouraged employees to donate to nonprofits of their choice by using the firm’s workplace giving program competition with a $2 for $1 matching gift promotion. In 2017, through interoffice promotion and the incentive, employees raised over $4.7 million for nonprofits around the country, more than a 23% increase from 2016.

Collaboration is the name of the game and the word of the day. NGOs, corporations, individuals, foundations, local nonprofits, local businesses, religious organizations, schools, community campaigns, higher educations, and collaborations between companies, nonprofits, credit card companies and banks.

In 2016, No Kid Hungry set an organizational record and raised over $56,000 in one day to ensure that all children get the healthy food they need to thrive. But on #GivingTuesday, No Kid Hungry set out to shatter their 2016 record by raising $100,000 or 1 million meals. Ultimately, and with a match from CitiBank, No Kid Hungry raised over $310,000 – that’s 4 times their 2016 results!

Take part in Giving Tuesday by raising funds or making a donation to support a cause or causes. In 2017, over $300m. was raised online through 2.5m gifts. The mean gift size was calculated to be $120.40. 

There's still time to start a #GivingTuesday campaign for your nonprofit. Let YouHelp host it on our platform. 

About the Author: The author is a staff writer for YouHelp.

No one should live in fear. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can last a lifetime and cut across generations. It affects people regardless of socio-economic status, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control.

Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. 

Studies estimate an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute in the United States alone, or more than 10 million abuse victims annually. 

Heels on the Move to Heal, a Texas based nonprofit is just one organization that helps women who’ve had to flee from abusive relationships. They posted a crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp.com, to raise money for domestic violence assistance, which is open to donations on YouHelp.. When a woman flees her home after being a victim of domestic violence, the situation may be so dangerous that she leaves without shoes on her feet. Ongoing research estimates that one in four women have been a victim of domestic violence.

Diverse City of Refuge Ministries, Inc of Wilmington, Delaware, is in urgent need of expansion and renovation of its battered women's shelter.  They seek to house women and children who are victims of domestic violence, provide food, clothing, counseling and a path to return to the workforce. On a daily basis the battered women's shelter is full and the staff scramble to find vacancies for women at other shelters.  They are in dire need and are trying to raise money for domestic violence funding to help cover their expenses.

Both these organizations and many more like work hard to raise funds needed to provide programming that empowers women and families to succeed and thrive. 

Currently available domestic violence assistance grants for nonprofit organizations.

Currently available domestic violence assistance grants for agencies, small businesses and individuals. 

Many grants can be found on GrantWatch to benefit nonprofit advocacy groups, who provide community-based assistance.  Here is one example of the many grants available throughout the United States to nonprofits that work to provide domestic violence assistance.

Grants to Colorado Nonprofits to Benefit Children and Families, Victims of Domestic Violence, Hospice Patients, and More  – Deadline: 12/15/18

Grants to Colorado nonprofit organizations for programs, projects, and services that benefit victims of domestic violence, children and families, hospice patients, mental health clinics, students pursuing degrees in social work, and shelters serving homeless clients. Applicants will be asked to describe the impact of their work (i.e., how many clients received services or otherwise benefited from the program, directly or indirectly).

During and after a domestic abuse experience, women battle with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, self-discovery, and starting over. Women sometimes have no skills or inadequate skills for job placement. 

Be a Source of Support: Ways to Help 

Want to help out? Create a campaign in support of a domestic violence organization or victim or contribute to a YouHelp.com domestic violence campaign 

Nonprofits, community-based groups, and battered women's shelters seeking grants to provide services for survivors of domestic violence can identify funding opportunities on GrantWatch.com. Sign-up on GrantWatch and receive the free weekly GrantWatch newsletter which features geographic-specific funding opportunities. 

About the Author: Staff Writer at YouHelp.com

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