Give Local York

May 7 - GiveLocalYork.org

BY: JJ SHEFFER Director, Community Programs

8 million dollars from 15,000 donors for more than 300 nonprofits in just 72 hours of giving.

The stats on GIVE LOCAL YORK – York County’s annual 24-hour online giving spree – are impressive. But the numbers tell only part of the story. Give Local York is also a celebration of community and connection. It’s a way to tell the stories and honor the work of York’s nonprofit organizations, as well as the stories of those who benefit from their services and those who support their services.

“All of these organizations benefit someone you are connected to in some way or another,” says Meagan Given, Executive Director of White Rose Leadership Institute, the organization behind Give Local York. “So while you may not be receiving services from an organization, I guarantee someone you work with is, or a kid that your kid goes to school with, or a family member. We are all interconnected in this county, and I think this year especially has shown that it’s up to us to take care of each other.”

The event takes place on the first Friday of May each year, piggybacking on Downtown York’s existing First Friday series, which aligns well with Give Local York’s objectives.

“First Friday is really an example of the best of us,” Given says. “Everyone is celebrating each other, and it’s a night where downtown shines and folks from all over come out and celebrate that.”

While the first two years of the event featured a lot of in-person events concentrated in Downtown York, Give Local York, from its inception, was meant to be an online give day. Given says that last year, when COVID-19 made it impossible for the in-person events to go on as scheduled, they were able to easily pivot to running the day completely online. The mechanics of the event exist without giving participants an opportunity to gather together physically, but the feeling of connection is a critical component to its success.

“At the heart of it is making everyone feel connected and reminding them that we’re connected,” says Given.

The fourth annual Give Local York will take place on Friday, May 7, and will once again forego most in-person gathering, offering more livestream and online components and a strong, real-time social media presence. Those who wish to give will be able to designate their contributions to their choice of more than 300 York County nonprofit organizations (searchable by name or cause), or to Give Local York’s stretch pool, which gets divided among participating organizations. This year’s goal is to have 13,500 donors make contributions.

“We made the very intentional purpose of focusing on donors as opposed to dollars raised, because that’s what it’s all about.” Given says, “The dollars raised are amazing, of course, and so needed and appreciated, but for us, it’s the number of people who are joining in giving those dollars.”

MORE THAN 300 OF YORK COUNTY’S NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATE IN GIVE LOCAL YORK . HERE ARE A FEW OF THEM WHOSE WORK INCLUDES VISITOR AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS IN DOWNTOWN YORK .

APPELL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Appell Center for the Performing Arts brings arts education to 10,000 students across the county, maintains two gorgeous theaters in the heart of York City, and presents the best in live comedy, dance, Broadway, and music.

PAL’S PARK

Opening in spring 2021, this dog recreation area is on the Rail Trail (at a parcel already home to a statue of Pal, a York German Shepherd who served in the Marines during WWII.) The park is the vision of Holden Feeser, a second grader, who wanted to build a place to play with her Great Dane.

CREATIVE YORK

Creative York is a nonprofit arts center, featuring galleries, ceramics studios, classes for all ages, and community outreach programs. Creative York inspires the community through the arts, with a vision of an inclusive, imaginative, and thriving community.

KABLE HOUSE PRESENTS

Kable House Presents is an independent concert series hosted at York’s historic Central Market House. Kable House Presents features up-and-coming national touring acts in intimate evening performances.