3 Options for Your #GivingTuesday Strategy

• Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts.

The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit has joined the global #GivingTuesday philanthropy movement that takes place after Black Friday and Cyber Monday — consumer holiday shopping events intended to kick off the holiday shopping season.

The global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and celebrate generosity worldwide will be observed on Dec. 1 this year.

Based in West Bloomfield, the Jewish Community Center offers three suggestions for people to direct their charitable efforts and brighten the lives of children who are hospitalized and people who are in need.

Give a Gift: The JCC is collaborating with The Bottomless Toy Chest, a Birmingham-based charity that provides toys to children in local hospitals. New, unopened and unwrapped gifts will be accepted through Monday, Nov. 30, and can be dropped off at the JCC, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield Township.

Give Your Time: The toys collected will be wrapped from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the JCC. Refreshments, arts and crafts, and other activities are planned as part of the wrapping party.

Give Your Money: The JCC provides more than $600,000 annually in scholarships to supprot and engage the community. People are encouraged to make a contribution to one of the five scholarship funds that go directly to someone in need in the community. The JCC scholarship programs include:

• Special Needs Scholarship Fund: Gives children the opportunity to participate in annual Special Needs programs, including Kids All Together, Teens All Together, SNAP (Special Needs Adventure Program) and inclusion programs at the JCC’s Child Development Center and Day Camps.
• Day Camp Scholarship Fund: Gives children the opportunity to participate in JCC Day Camps.
• Kenny Goldman Athletic Fund: Gives children and young adults (ages 6-20) the opportunity to participate in quarterly basketball leagues, which include practices, games and end-of-season awards.
• Aquatics Scholarship Fund: Gives children the opportunity to participate in the JCC Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy.
• Child Development Center Scholarship Fund: Gives infants and toddlers of families in need the opportunity to participate in all of the programs offered by the JCC’s Pitt Child Development Center.

“Supporting the community in which we work, live and play is a cornerstone of the JCC’s mission,” Jim Issner, chief executive officer of the JCC said in a news release. “We are excited to be a part of this global day of giving and encourage our community to participate in the JCC’s various #GivingTuesday activities.”

Since 2012, online giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has increased more than four-fold, based on findings by Blackbaud and the Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, produced in partnership with the Case Foundation.

“We have been incredibly inspired by the generosity in time, efforts and ideas that have brought our concept for a worldwide movement into reality,” said Henry Timms, founder o #GivingTuesday and executive director of the 92nd Street Y. “As we embark on our fourth year of #GivingTuesday, we are encouraged by the early response from partners eager to continue making an impact in this global conversation.”

Those who are interested in participating in the JCC’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.jccdet.org/givingtuesday for details. Information will also be available via the JCC’s Facebook and Twitter pages.