Local nonprofits rely on ‘Giving Tuesday’ to stay afloat

The turkey is put away and the Black Friday shopping is over. Now it is time to start thinking about Cyber Monday and the lesser-known Giving Tuesday.

Once again, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving will be dubbed “Giving Tuesday,” a day when you can make up for the excesses of Black Friday and Cyber Monday by putting your money where your heart is.

“People, they don’t think of the smaller, local nonprofits,” said Julie Zicha. “They don’t think about some of us on the front lines.”

Zicha is the founder of Ryan’s Rainbow Connection, a non-profit started after her son completed suicide in 2011 near Pebble Creek. The organization works to help those in Eastern Idaho who may be struggling to stay alive. She does it in Ryan’s memory.

“Ryan was only 19,” Zicha said. “He was beautiful. Smart. He was funny. Big-hearted young man.”

Launched in 2012, Giving Tuesday is the day when non-profit organizations use social media, the hashtag #GivingTuesday and a big online push to give donors and potential donors an easy way to get the holiday giving season off to a generous start.

Last year, more than 700,000 people across 70 countries raised more than $116 million on Giving Tuesday, more than double from the year before.

If you’d like to donate to Ryan’s Rainbow Connection, you can do so by clicking here.

In Idaho, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 15 to 34.

If you or someone you know is suicidal or struggling, we encourage you to contact the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.