This Giving Tuesday, Simple Kindness for Youth (SKY) will celebrate giving with the help of Portage Health Foundation, who is matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000 to SKY and 14 other non-profits in our four-county area.

Giving Tuesday, taking place Dec. 3, is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage giving and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Every year, on Giving Tuesday, millions of people across the globe (almost 60 countries) mobilize to show up, give back and change their communities. The goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day, and touches every person on the planet.

“This has been such an amazing opportunity for our organization,” said Lynnette Borree, President at Simple Kindness for Youth. “We are incredibly grateful to the Portage Health Foundation for their support. Not only will all of the money donated go directly toward helping our local students, but donations can potentially be doubled. There are few opportunities where donations can be stretched that far. It all stays local with no administrative costs.”

Founded in 2012, Giving Tuesday has inspired millions of people to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $400 million was raised online in 2018 to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness. This is the third year of the Portage Health Foundation match, which has raised nearly $280,000 to date. Since Simple Kindness for Youth began, they have provided over $173,000 in grants to help local students who can’t afford things like clothing, athletic fees, glasses, books and so much more.

“When Giving Tuesday launched in the US in 2012 we believed that technology and social media could be used to make generosity go viral,” said Asha Curran, Giving Tuesday’s CEO and co-founder. “We believed in the idea that people fundamentally want to give and to

talk about giving; and that the social sector had the capacity to show more innovative leadership, creativity, and collaboration. People and organizations around the world proved us right. As we prepare for December 3, we’re energized and encouraged by the community’s generosity. The levels of creativity, effort and the quality of the new ideas people have contributed and shared are phenomenal.”

Those who are interested in joining Simple Kindness for Youth and Portage Health Foundation’s Giving Tuesday initiative should visit http://www.phfgive.org/giving-tuesday.php.