Donations vital to keeping nonprofit organizations afloat

Tomorrow is the National Day of Giving, a day to donate to nonprofit organizations. These donations mean a lot to the organizations.

“Wow, the National day of Giving,” Jay Doman, CEO of the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership, said. “What an opportunity.”

The National Day of Giving is a day to give back to nonprofit organizations that help the community.

“I think as a nation, we’re a very generous nation,” Doman said. “But in this area, I think we’re particularly blessed, for the most part, and because of that people are particularly generous.”

You can give back in more ways than just donating.

“At least for us as a nonprofit, we don’t have a budget to redecorate something,” Teena McBride, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, said. “Or have somebody provide a janitorial service that they come in as a constant and clean us up. So having somebody make you sparkle a little bit is always kind of nice.”

With potential tax reform possibly ending tax deductions for donations to nonprofits, the organizations are worried about their futures.

“It can be vitally important,” McBride said. “Especially if you’re a smaller agency and you have 25 percent, 50 percent of your budget, functioning and running on what is contributed by local donors.”

Organizations worry that with no tax incentive to donate to them, the donations will decrease.

“There have been nonprofits that have folded due to funding cuts,” McBride said. “And this essentially, that would basically could add up to is you could have a funding cut.”

Doman agrees.

“We rely heavily on our local contributions to take care of things like our Haven Shelter here in town,” Doman said. “Without the local donations that we receive on that throughout the year, we would not be able to keep the doors open.”

If you are interested in donating to your favorite nonprofit, you need to contact them individually to find out how you can help.