KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The holiday sales are over, and now charitable organizations are hoping you’ll contribute to their causes. Giving Tuesday follows Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
The global movement encourages you to get involved with charities that benefit the community. Many see it as a marker to begin a season a charitable giving through the holidays.
Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City has set a goal to raise $40,000 on Giving Tuesday.
“It's really a time for people to stop and reflect and give back to the community,” explained Kristi Hutchison with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. “We wanted to work with that movement to better the kids and match more kids in our program with mentors.”
The organization pairs children with a mentor, referred to as a “big.” Hutchison said 400 children are currently waiting for a mentor in the Kansas City area. She said most of the children in the program come from single-parent households.
Hutchison said the results of the mentoring program show how big of a difference it makes for the children involved. Every child graduates high school. Less than one percent end up in juvenile detention. None commit suicide.
“We know that our program can make a huge difference,” Hutchison said. “And we can help break the cycle of incarceration, high school dropout and teen suicide. That's really what this whole campaign is centered around.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is getting some big help to meet its Giving Tuesday goal. The Roasterie coffee shops will donate 10 percent of their profits this morning to the organization.
More than 150 other organizations in the Kansas City area are collecting donations this Tuesday. Several of them have donors who have pledged to match donations.
To search for a list of organization participating in the Giving Tuesday, click here.
To help Big Brothers Big Sister of Greater Kansas City, click here.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said donors should be cautious with their contributions this time of year. He suggests giving to an established charity and documenting your donation. Click here for more tips.
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