If you’re a resident of North Texas, then chances are you’ve probably been hearing the words “North Texas Giving Day” a lot this week. If you’re still wondering what it is or why it matters, or even if you’re well aware of what it is but still aren’t exactly sure about who you want to donate to this year, then buckle up, because this article is for you.
Let’s start with the basics. What is North Texas Giving Day, exactly? So glad you asked! North Texas Giving Day is an online movement that was started by the Communities Foundation of Texas ten years ago. Ever since its inception, NTX Giving Day has been giving North Texas nonprofits a way to rally monetary support to keep doing the many amazing services that they do. To this day, North Texas Giving Day is the largest community-wide giving event in the nation. Yeah, North Texas doesn’t mess around when it comes to doing good.
This Giving Day, we’re highlighting 5 of our amazing nonprofit members across our DFW community to help show a little look into the life-impacting work that they do day in and day out. If you’re eager to take part in North Texas Giving Day and want to support an organization that’s working toward causes you care about, check out these 5 DFW nonprofits and their causes. And if you’re feeling kinda crazy, donate to one of them today! We double dog dare you.
The Educator Collective
The Educator Collective is a professional community made up of teachers from across Dallas-Fort Worth. TEC memberships are offered free of charge and provide educators with opportunities to grow across their three areas of focus- community, development, and leadership. Within this basic framework, The Educator Collective gives teachers access to the kinds of resources and relationships that will truly empower them to build lasting and accomplished careers in education.
When it comes down to it, the strength of the TEC community really comes from its diversity. If you are a teacher in Dallas-Fort Worth- whether early-career or veteran, public school or private school, elementary, middle or high school- you qualify for a TEC membership. The potential that comes from unifying these varied backgrounds under the common goal of educator empowerment is limitless.
At their core, The Educator Collective believes that when educators come together, are respected as professionals, and are provided with ample space to grow together, schools flourish and students succeed.
Give To The Educator Collective!
Foundation 45
Foundation 45 spends their days working to provide rays of hope to the people of Deep Ellum and the greater Dallas community. Foundation 45’s ultimate goal is to start conversations and support people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, addiction, mental illness, or collateral damage of losing a loved one to suicide. Foundation 45 believes that suicide is a needless death, and everything they do aims to alleviate the number of lives that are lost to suicide every year. According to their website, one Texan takes their lives every 3 hours.
Foundation 45 is here to make sure that Texans don’t get to that place. They host regular group meetups every Sunday afternoon and Monday night right at Common Desk – Deep Ellum and Thursday nights at Common Desk – Oak Cliff to give support to anyone who wants to share their struggles or successes with mental health issues and suicide. Foundation 45 knows the darkness of suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety and addiction. And they’re here to do all they can to help others find the light again. They also have direct help lines for anyone who needs immediate help.
Foundation 45 also hosts regular community-wide events in the Deep Ellum neighborhood– one of the most popular being the Deep Ellum adult-only Water Balloon Wars! Check out their Instagram to follow along with their events to take part in something fun AND beneficial.
If you’re passionate about mental health, increasing awareness around suicide prevention, and/or supporting a group that’s giving hope, then Foundation 45 is a cause you should support.
Give To Foundation 45!
ALS Association Of Texas
The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit organization completely dedicated to fighting ALS. The Texas chapter of the ALS Association operates under the same shared mission– to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. Their work covers all the bases– research, patient and community services, public education, and advocacy– in providing help, support, and hope to those facing the ALS disease.
Remember the “ice bucket challenge” from a few years ago? Well, the ALS Association was the driving force behind those massive buckets of water getting dumped on people across the nation for a good cause. This crew is super creative, and they love doing surprising things to generate awareness for the cause they’re passionate about!
The ALS Association Texas chapter is designed to provide the best service to the Texas ALS community. Because they operate statewide, they’re able to provide more efficient and effective services to ALS families and their caregivers. But they don’t stop there; they also develop smart opportunities to leverage the support of the dedicated donors and volunteers who want to make an impact across our great state (think fun runs, ice buckets, and everything in between)!
Give To The ALS Association Of Texas!
Excellence By Design Education Center (EDEC)
Excellence by Design Education Center (EDEC) is committed to closing achievement gaps of disadvantaged and underserved youths in education. Learning differs across tasks, development, and individual personalities. EDEC provides programs and services that addresses equity in education to underserved and disadvantage young learners in the Dallas Metroplex area.
One thing we love about EDEC is how they collaborate and join forces with schools and community organizations across DFW to provide extended educational and social development programs/services. These collaborative services follow a holistic approach to academics, encourage social and character development, train students in college and career readiness, develop life skills, aid in intervention/prevention, and last but not least, produce leadership development. We’re all shaped by our education and the learning experiences built around our time as students, and Excellence by Design understands the importance of giving programs to youth who might not readily have them.
Give To Excellence By Design Education Center!
2ndSaturday
2ndSaturday is a grassroots movement that exists to Reach Lives, Restore Hope, and Redeem Communities based in Dallas, TX. They partner with those on the margins of poverty to forever change individuals, families and neighborhoods across the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. It all started on a simple Saturday in 2009 when families met to repair a West Dallas resident’s home. Then, month by month, people began inviting other people, and before they knew it, a movement had started. Now, 2ndSaturday is a continuous opportunity for hundreds of Dallas residents, businesses, and churches to make an impact on the lives of those in Dallas’ poorest communities.
2S intentionally partners with other nonprofits to serve the long-term efforts of the community. 2S serves the disabled and senior citizens of Dallas, because they recognize that these people are pillars of the community. The second part of 2S, called 2S Industries, was developed to bridge the gap between men with criminal records and society by providing them with work and job opportunities that they easily would not have had otherwise, based on their life circumstances.
2ndSaturday pours into and rebuilds Dallas’ most overlooked and poverty-stricken neighborhoods, and the way they pour into homes, communities, and humans long-term is easily worth donating to.
Give To 2ndSaturday!
