Giving Tuesday: 5 Stratford Nonprofits That Could Use Your Help

STRATFORD, CT — There’s no single way to show generosity on Giving Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, Dec. 2, this year, but several nonprofits in Stratford are counting on end-of-the-year donations and support.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all focus on consumerism, while the idea behind GivingTuesday is to galvanize fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes.

Since 2012, nonprofits, community and grassroots groups, and mutual aid networks worldwide have used the #GivingTuesday hashtag to encourage fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes, according to the nonprofit of the same name behind the movement.

Local nonprofits remain heavily dependent on donor support. Charitable contributions increased 2.9 percent from June 2024 to June 2025, according to the FundraisingEffectiveness Report analysis.

Notably, although total dollars raised have increased, year-to-date performance among supersize donors has been softer than in 2024, making small contributions more important than ever.

In the United States, Giving Tuesday is led by hundreds of communities, networks and coalitions.

Here are five nonprofits in Stratford that depend on community support (donations should be made directly to each of the nonprofits below):

1. Sterling House Community Center: Provides community services, recreational programs, and educational opportunities for all ages in Stratford.
2. Stratford Animal Rescue Society: Focuses on rescuing and rehoming animals and supports the Stratford Animal Control Facility.
3. Stratford Historical Society: Preserves and promotes Stratford’s history and heritage.
4. Stratford EMS Fund: Supports Stratford Emergency Medical Services through community donations and outreach.
5. Stratford Library Association: The mission of the Stratford Library is to “empower and enrich our diverse community by providing access to innovative services, information, and ideas.”

The Giving Tuesday movement encourages “radical generosity,” the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering, according to the movement’s website.

Giving Tuesday was created in New York City in 2012 with a simple goal: to encourage people to do good. Over the past nine years, the idea has grown into the global movement it is today.

Last year, Giving Tuesday participants raised a record-breaking $3.6 billion from 36.1 million participants, bringing the total raised on the day since 2012 to $18.5 billion.