News Photo by Julie Goldberg Kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena hold their annual Thanksgiving dinner in this 2018 file photo.

ALPENA –As many people choose to do the brunt of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there are many who choose to give gifts of money to local charities and community projects on Giving Tuesday in Northeast Michigan.

There is no shortage of fundraising that goes on during the year, but, for many groups, organizations and clubs, the holiday season is when much of their annual funding is raised. Giving Tuesday is a national campaign, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, to encourage people to donate to worthy causes for the holidays.

Last year, $120,000 was raised for local initiatives in 24 hours, officials from the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan said.

To help make donating simpler and to assist area nonprofit groups, for the fourth year in a row, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is accepting donations on behalf the nonprofits.

Marketing Communications Director Christine Hitch said many new groups were added to the donation list after last holiday season.

She said that, this year, there are 55 charities in a nine-county area, with more than half of them participating in Giving Tuesday for the first time.

“Twenty-nine of those are organizations that have not previously been part of Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan,” Hitch said. “You’ll definitely see many organizations that have participated previously, as well. One new thing this year is that donors will be able to see what their donations will be used for, particularly if they will be used for a certain program or project.”

Among the nonprofit groups taking part are the Huron Humane Society, the Alpena Boys and Girls Club, South Bay and the Thunder Bay Arts Council.

In 2017, Grant the Giving Tuesday Golden Goose was introduced as a fun way to bolster friendly competition between nonprofits. Grant, the goose’s name, is awarded to the nonprofit raising the most money on Giving Tuesday.

Last year, the goose went to the Northeast Michigan Women’s Giving Circle. Grant’s new home is up for grabs this year,

Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan Executive Director Christine Witulski said in a prepared statement that the trophy is a symbol of how the communities in the area always rise to the occasion when nonprofits need support.

“Grant symbolizes the generosity of Northeast Michigan,” she said. “Every nonprofit organization participating in the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan’s Giving Tuesday campaign would love the honor of having Grant reside at their institution for the year. He serves as a daily reminder of just how much our community values and supports the work we do. Although we would all love winning Grant, we are all winners, thanks to the generous support of our community.”

Alpena Boys and girls Club Executive Director Brad Somers said the money raised on Giving Tuesday is always appreciated and put to good use. He said it goes toward youth programs and other club functions and means a lot to the kids, employees and volunteers when the final amount is announced. Last year, $8,000 was raised for the club.

“We were wiping away tears from our faces, in awe,” Somers said. “We work in a sometimes thankless environment, and to have the community stand behind us like that on Giving Tuesday brought about so many emotions of joy and thankfulness.”

In addition to the four-county area that CFNEM serves, it also is the administrative arm for three affiliate foundations covering an additional five-county area. Those affiliates include the Iosco County Community Foundation, the North Central Michigan Community Foundation, and the Straits Area Community Foundation.

Each affiliate has nonprofits in their communities participating.

Hitch said there is also an opportunity for donors to win prizes on Tuesday. She said prizes will be given for things like the 100th donor or the donation that pushes the dollar amount over last year’s.

Donations will be accepted online beginning at noon Tuesday and for the following 24 hours. The public will be able to monitor the total amount donated online throughout the day. The total amount donated to each organization will be announced at an event shortly after Giving Tuesday, with participating nonprofits at the Community Foundation headquarters.

Donations can also be dropped of at Community Foundation on the same day.

Those wishing to donate Tuesday can log into www.cfnem.org or call 989-354-6881.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or 989-358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.

Giving Tuesday nonprofits

A list of nonprofits on behalf of which the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan will accept donations for Giving Tuesday.

Alpena Area Senior Citizens Council Inc.

Alpena Childcare and Development Center

Alpena County Animal Facility

Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library

Alpena Gymnastics

Art in the Loft

Association of Lifelong Learners

Besser Museum for NE MI

Boys and Girls Club of Alpena

Catholic Human Services-Alpena

Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Michigan

Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan Community Impact Grant Program

Elk Country Animal Shelter

Friends of Negwegon State Park

Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Friends Together

Habitat for Humanity NE MI

Hope Shores Alliance

Huron Humane Society

Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative

Northeast Michigan Women’s Giving Circle

Northeast Michigan Youth Advisory Council

Presque Isle District Library

Presque Isle Township Museum Society

St. Ignatius School

South Bay Alpena

Sunrise Mission Inc.

Susan Lane Foundation

Thunder Bay Arts Council

Thunder Bay Island Preservation Society

Thunder Bay River Center Inc.

Thunder Bay Theatre