Why Do You Give?
October 30, 2014
JoAnn Turnquist
30 years ago, several Midlands business leaders came together to form Central Carolina Community Foundation, a ‘community chest’ that would be the central resource for charitable giving in our region. Gayle Averyt, one of the founders, told me that this group cared about the community they called home and wanted to give something back; something lasting that would encourage others to give.
Why do you give? Is it because you are passionate about a particular cause? Perhaps a past experience has inspired you. It may be that, like our founders, you care for a particular place and want to give back. Every day, we have the privilege of speaking to folks in our community about their unique reasons for giving. It is rare that we hear the same reason or story.
My husband, Ernie, and I give for many reasons. We give to the Richland Library because books have allowed us to learn, explore and imagine. Our two rescue pups are the motivation behind our gifts to Healing Species and, our concern for those in need inspire our gifts to Harvest Hope.
Giving is important. We share this lesson everyday for a good reason. The more we give, the more others give – and so the giving pie grows. In celebration of our 30th Anniversary, Central Carolina Community Foundation has launched 30 More Years of Giving, a campaign designed to give back and inspire others to join us. We are conducting ‘Acts of Giving’ throughout this year. We have already had the privilege of helping low-income children, high school Physic students, senior citizens, and at-risk teenagers. There are many more ‘acts’ on the horizon. You can read more about them on our website or by following #WhyIGiveSC on social media.
As part of our anniversary celebration, we are inviting community members to participate in the #WhyIGiveSC social media contest and share why they give their time, talents or treasure. The top three winners will receive a donation in their name to their favorite Midlands nonprofit organization. The contest begins November 3rd and ends November 10th. I encourage you to visit www.yourfoundation.org/whyigivesc to enter the contest, view the contest entries, and see the official contest rules. Please share why you give and inspire others to join you.
Cheers!
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