#GivingTuesday 2018
#GivingTuesday was nothing short of a victory for Fox Valley Hands of Hope. This year, our organization attempted to tackle a whole new approach to #GivingTuesday in hopes of furthering our community reach and success for the 2018 campaign. Gayle Deja-Schultz, Fox Valley Hands of Hope’s Director of Development, attended a 4-part series hosted by the Dunham Fund, to brush up on best practices collected from the 2017 #GivingTuesday Campaign to apply to 2018.
The Development Team put together an extensive plan to share our beneficiary programs for the campaign; Herbie’s Friends and Grief Takes a Hike Camp. Our organization chose to highlight these family specific programs because they have been so instrumentally successful and are staple programs here at Fox Valley Hands of Hope.
Herbie’s Friends is a program that allows family members who have experienced the loss of a significant person to share their thoughts, feelings and stories. Families enjoy a meal together and welcomed into small groups by developmental age, while adults meet separately to learn about children’s grief and receive support.
Grief Takes A Hike Camp is a weekend designed for families who have experienced the death of a family member or other significant individual. This weekend allows families to experience the therapeutic value of nature – sharing feelings while enjoying indoor and outdoor activities, like relaxing at the beach or by the campfire, exploring nature, and participating in crafts and even family relay races
Each of these programs provides families an opportunity to heal within a community alongside their family members. These programs are a unique approach to compassionate bereavement care and we are proud to offer such dynamic opportunities to our families in need.
For those who follow us on our social media feeds (Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn) and receive our email blasts, we planned a full day of interaction! We set the intention of reaching as many people as possible in one day as we possibly could to benefit our Family Programs by the end of the #GivingTuesday one day event on November 27th. We hosted a day of activities at the fox Valley Hands of Hope offices for any community members interested in getting involved or learning a little more about our organization. #GivingTuesday events included a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast for current volunteers and individuals interested in becoming a volunteer, a Lunch & Learn to give an abbreviated look at Fox Valley Hands of Hope, and lastly we hosted an After-Hours appetizer event at Old Towne Pub in Geneva to celebrate a day of giving.
Because of support from our community, our board, and our families, we were able to raise 75% of our $14,788! Out of 333 nonprofit organizations to participate, we were in the top 40 on the “Most Money Raised” list – quite a feat for our small but mighty organization!
Thank you to those who participated and supported us in our #GivingTuesday endeavors this year – your support is instrumental in the success of our organization and continuation of services.