Our society is more global than ever, 24 hour news and social media platforms allow us to see life as it happens, in real time, anywhere around the world. We witness the damage of natural disasters, the terror of military conflicts and the impact of a pandemic as they occur. We learn about important social, environmental, and economic issues that effect us and our planet. The stories we hear and the people we see inspire us to reach out to charitable organizations who share our values and are devoted to the causes we support. Our donated dollars can have an international impact. With so much going on in the world and so much information at our finger tips we may inadvertently overlook the many worthwhile causes in our own backyard.
For years Gainesville has been considered one of the top giving communities in North Central Florida. With a wide variety of local non-profits in our area, there are several opportunities and reasons to keep your donation dollars close to home.
By giving locally you can directly see the impact your generosity has on the community and how it is being used. Many local non-profits encourage volunteers to help on site or participate in working on special projects.
When you give locally you actually improve the quality of your life by making your community a better place to live. You can create change, fix a problem or help someone receive much needed services. By investing in a local charity you are investing in your future.
While grants make-up the largest portion of our income they are usually program or need specific. They can’t be used for anything outside of their designation. For example, funding for financial assistance can’t be used to purchase food or other basic needs. Similar to most businesses we pay close attention to our budget and base our spending around anticipated income but sometimes the unexpected occurs. Grant requirements change or are no longer available. A natural disaster occurs and food we depended on get rerouted to the impacted area. This is the number one reason why giving locally matters so much. We rely on individual donors and event sponsors to fill in the gap for underfunded programs and unexpected or increased need in our services.
As your local Catholic Charities office, we understand the interests, values, and needs of our community. We are acutely aware of the responsibility and ensuring trust placed in us to meet the needs of those we serve. Because we are a small local office, we strive to keep administrative costs low to allow more of your dollars to go toward the services and programs we provide. We depend on and we are grateful for our donors, volunteers, community partners and sponsors for their generosity and support. They are the key to the fulfillment of our mission.