November 2017

Back to What Matters

The end of November brings on so many shopping holidays — Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday which is turning into Cyber Week. It’s nearly impossible to avoid feeling awash in consumerism. It’s only right, then, that this string of retail holidays should be bookended by a day devoted to gratitude on the front end and one about giving back to bring up the rear. Giving Tuesday is coming up on November 28th and bringing an abundance of opportunities to “help others through the gift of your time, donations, goods or your voice.”

Local Giving

There’s no shortage of opportunities to help out both globally and locally on Giving Tuesday,  but one initiative concentrates donor impact right here in Rochester. For the past seven years, the United Way of Greater Rochester has spearheaded ROC the Day, “a 24-hour, online event that gives people in our community an opportunity to support all of the not-for-profit organizations doing great work in the nine-county Greater Rochester area.” In addition to providing a secure online giving platform, the organization rallies local causes and creates toolkits for both not-for-profits and donors (aka ROCstars).

Making a Difference

Last year, nearly 8,000 Rochesterians donated $747,794 to not-for-profits in just 24 hours through ROC the Day. That’s a really big deal, especially since all the money raised during ROC the Day stays right here in the community to help local people and organizations. To find your favorite non-profits and discover new initiatives, explore the many Causes to Support at ROCtheDay.org.