‘Giving days’ help UMC advance specials, other nonprofits May 3

By Jessica Brodie

Get those debit cards ready. On May 3, several United Methodist-associated ministries are participating in regional online giving days, many with matching gift opportunities.

As of the Advocate’s press time, at least nine ministries associated with The United Methodist Church were participating in LowcountryGivingDay.org, MidlandsGives.org or SupportSpartanburgCounty.org. These sites, along with BigGivePeeDee.org, GiveLocalLancaster.org and others, enable people to search for their favorite local charity and easily contribute a tax-deductible donation. The giving days are a coordinated effort through Give Local America, which raised more than $121 million for thousands of nonprofit organizations since its inception in 2014.

Most of the websites have a minimum donation—$10 for Support Spartanburg County, $20 for Give Local Lancaster, $20 for Midlands Gives and $25 for Big Give Pee Dee—but there is no maximum. One hundred percent of the gift goes directly to the nonprofit, and some of these organizations will receive matching gifts up to a certain amount, so a donor’s gift can be worth much more.

“We just really appreciate that they are doing this for us,” said the Rev. Diane Moseley, executive director of Killingsworth, one of the ministries being helped. “It’s a good vehicle: online and so easy. You just push a button.”

Participating UMC-associated ministries as of press time are as follows (see sure to search the sites for your favorite ministry or charity):

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• LowcountryGivingDay.org: Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center and Rural Mission
  
• MidlandsGives.org: Alston Wilkes Society, The Cooperative Ministry, Epworth Children’s Home, Interfaith Community Services, Jubilee Academy and Killingsworth
  
• SupportSpartanburgCounty.org: The Bethlehem Center (Spartanburg)
  

The giving days will run any time May 3 between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. (EST).