Here's how you can help build a better Birmingham on #GivingTuesday.
Here at Infomedia, we appreciate the opportunity to give back year-round, but today is extra-special because it’s Giving Tuesday. In its fifth year, #GivingTuesday harnesses social media and collaboration to encourage global giving. Pitching in to support our community with time or other resources is what helps keep it going, and we’re fortunate to live in Birmingham — well-known as an incredibly generous city.
Today, we’re sharing some ways we’ve been able to get more involved as an office. Whether you’re able to write a check or not, there are always programs and services that can benefit from another pair of helping (or giving) hands. Here are some of our favorite ways to help:
- Pay it forward. Giving back financially through charitable donations is a pretty simple option. But did you know you can make contributions with your Amazon account? Sign up for Amazon Smile, select a charitable cause and a portion of the proceeds from your purchase(s) will benefit that organization.
- Volunteer to help with direct needs an organization may have, whether that’s manning a telephone to reach out to donors, serving lunch or serving on a junior board. You can find a list of nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations who participate in #GivingTuesday by clicking this link.
- Partner up with another organization. We had the chance to do this by working with REV Birmingham’s Big Pitch in October. Sharing our design, marketing and business mentoring expertise with Birmingham’s next wave of innovators and entrepreneurs is a win for everyone involved.
- Be an advocate for a cause in which you’re personally invested. Our area has a wealth of needs, whether it’s educating the community about about STEM careers, organizing WordCamp, providing health and vision screenings for kids, serving as a Girl (or Boy) Scout or leading job readiness workshops.
- Go pro bono, or offer reduced fees if possible. Over the years, our team has built websites and offered professional services for a variety of organizations meeting needs in our community and have even donated a free website as a prize on occasion. If your services can meet a critical need for an organization in a tangible way, why not offer?
You may be thinking, “I’m just one person. How can I have an impact?” That’s the point: Giving Tuesday is an international effort. It takes all of our work together — and last year those efforts generated over $117 million online, with the collected efforts of people in 71 countries. Whether you join the 2016 effort or not, it’s never the wrong time to get involved.
