SAN ANTONIO — Giving Tuesday is the official kickoff of the charitable giving season and local non-profit organizations are already planning ahead to to start off strong.
"This is a huge season where we see the most generosity," said Roy Maas Youth Alternatives Development and Marketing Director Julie Healy.
Whether it's helping kids stay out of foster care like Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, or providing the San Antonio community with free access to performing arts from around the world like Musical Bridges Around the World, San Antonio non-profits know how important it is to take advantage of Giving Tuesday.
"Giving Tuesday for Musical Bridges is definitely a springboard into the year-end campaign," said Sean Kithas, Marketing Director for Musical Bridges Around the World.
Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for people to pause the holiday spending and consider using their money or time to help others, says San Antonio Food Bank Chief Sustainability officer Michael Guerra.
"It's critically important, I think, from a message point of view. just to kind of interrupt the consumer messaging,” said Guerra. “Giving Tuesday is all about what are the needs in our community and how can I be a part of that solution?”
Guerra said the San Antonio Food Bank is going to have a digital push not only for monetary donations, but for time as well. He said that January and February are the Food Bank’s slowest Month’s for volunteering.
"They might say, well, I'm I can't give time on giving Tuesday, but I can sign up for it for December or January or February," Guerra said. “So, everybody who gives a dollar in December, we're going to invite them to support us in January or February with the gift of time.”
Many non-profits are partnering with big donors to match people's individual donations. Roy Maas will see matches for monthly donations.
"He is wanting the agency to have more consistent funding,” Healy said. “And so he has offered this as a way to help us build that."
Healy said the last month of the year is when they see eighty percent of their individual donations, but it doesn't end with Giving Tuesday.
"Giving Tuesday is a kickoff, but it is not like it is not the biggest day,” she said. “Honestly, the biggest day is December 31st. That's when most giving occurs."
Kithas said that Musical Bridges' CEO and artistic director will be matching people's donations to support it's Annual Gurwitz Competition up to $3500.
The San Antonio Food Bank has separate pages set up for people to donate time and/or money. A Donor is matching up to $4,000 a month in donations to Roy Maas Youth Alternative but only for those who sign up as monthly donors.