Why you should give on El Paso Giving Day

By Charles de Wetter – Courtesy of El Paso Inc.

Through my service on many nonprofit boards over the years, I have had the good fortune of witnessing and supporting the meaningful service carried out daily by El Paso’s nonprofit organizations.

We find ourselves in unprecedented times. As children and families struggle through the loss of income and challenges to health and safety, and small businesses hold on valiantly to serve our community as they do so well, nonprofit organizations have stepped up to provide the social services and other support that our community needs.

With loss of revenue of their own, resulting from a decline in program fees or a postponed fundraising event, nonprofit organizations need our help. As a donor of both time and treasure, I look for opportunities to support organizations that I am passionate about – that will have the greatest impact and address the greatest need.

In its fifth year, El Paso Giving Day is an online charitable giving drive designed to ignite the spirit of giving across our region to support causes in the community where we live, work and play.

This year, the El Paso Giving campaign will start Oct. 8 for a week of “early giving” and culminate Oct. 15, when Walmart will generously match donations up to $300,000 for gifts made online between midnight and 11:50 p.m. through ElPasoGivingDay.org until matching funds are met. Participating nonprofit organizations can receive up to $10,000 in matching funds through ElPasoGivingDay.org as long as funds are available.

To leverage giving, I plan to make gifts this year on El Paso Giving Day to organizations important to our family and community, including the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence. CASFV has seen a 30% increase in domestic violence calls during the pandemic. I will match gifts to CASFV through El Paso Giving Day to support their critical mission, up to $10,000.

I also plan to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes – and undeniable hope – to children and families with life-threatening conditions.

Working with another charitable partner, I have made an additional commitment to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso to establish a current-use scholarship at the Hunt School of Nursing that will be matched by TTUHSC El Paso to double the impact of our gift.

Now more than ever, it is critical to support our future health care heroes who will graduate as nurses to serve our community on the front lines.

There are more than 190 participating El Paso Giving Day nonprofits this year with causes ranging from animal rescue to homelessness and children’s mentorship programs to food insecurity. Through your support, with gifts starting at $10 or larger contributions to leverage matching gifts, 2020 can be a year where charitable donations become a larger expressions of mutual support, empathy, and solidarity.

I can’t remember a time in which there was a greater need than now for us to lift each other up to ensure we come out of these hard times stronger than ever.

Charles de Wetter is a philanthropist and businessman. He is the managing broker for Coldwell Banker Legacy.