SPRINGFIELD – To help increase donations to nonprofit organizations throughout the state, the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois) is joining Forefront in its #ILGive campaign. Forefront is a membership association for nonprofits, grantmakers, public agencies, advisors, and others. #ILGive is a statewide movement to support nonprofit communities in Illinois by increasing individual giving. #ILGive will begin at midnight on November 27 and end 24 hours later as part of the nationwide #GivingTuesday campaign.
Last year, Forefront’s statewide campaign helped raise $13.4 million from donors on #GivingTuesday for more than 600 charitable organizations. This year, Forefront’s goal for #ILGive is to surpass the amount donated by Illinois residents last year.
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“You waited in line for Black Friday and you surfed on Cyber Monday. Why not give back on Tuesday,” said Scott McFarland, Executive Director of Serve Illinois. “Illinois is a great place to live because of its great community organizations. This is our chance to help them do more!”
#ILGive will harness the power of social media to create a statewide movement around the holidays dedicated to giving – similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.
“The nonprofit community is taking the lead on addressing the most important issues of our day,” says Eric Weinheimer, President and CEO of Forefront. “#ILGive for #GivingTuesday is the day we celebrate our communities in Illinois and the gifts every person has to offer for this critical work. #ILGive opens the door to engage our biggest passions, whether that is feeding a hungry child, building a park, or piloting a new arts program. We can all find a way to connect through #ILGive.”
Forefront hopes to build on last year’s success and see more individuals, community leaders, nonprofits, elected officials, corporate partners, and others join the movement. For more on the campaign and a list of participating charities, visit www.Serve.Illinois.gov.
The Serve Illinois Commission is a 40 member (25 voting and 15 non-voting), bi-partisan board appointed by the Governor and administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Its mission is to improve Illinois communities by enhancing volunteerism and instilling an ethic of service throughout the state. The Commission is accomplishing this mission through the support of local community-based efforts to enhance volunteer opportunities and the administration of Illinois' AmeriCorps program. For more information on Serve Illinois, or to find one of more than 2,500 volunteer opportunities in the state, please visit www.Serve.Illinois.gov.
