Area nonprofits taking part in Giving Tuesday

SANDPOINT — A number of nonprofit groups in Bonner and Boundary counties will be taking part in Giving Tuesday, this year celebrated on Dec. 3.

In Bonner County, participating groups include the American Heritage Wildlife Foundation, Arts Alliance (Creations), Bonner County History Museum, Bonner General Health Foundation, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Kaniksu Land Trust, Panhandle Community Radio (KRFY), Panida Theater, Pend Oreille Arts Council, Pflag Sandpoint, Uryadi’s village. In Boundary County, participating groups include Pawsitive Works.

Giving Tuesday, its website notes, was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

During the Thanksgiving season it is easy to get swept up in the fervor of shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. GivingTuesday, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, will kick off the giving season and inspire people to collaborate and give back.

“Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give,” organizers note on the GivingTuesday website.

Since its founding by the 92nd Street Y— a community and cultural center in New York City — the day has inspired millions of people to give back and support the charities and causes they believe in. Last year, over $300 million was raised online to support thousands of nonprofit organizations. In addition to giving, #GivingTuesday encourages people to volunteer their time, donate food and clothing and provide acts of kindness.

For those who are interested in joining Innovia Foundation in the #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.innovia.org/givingtuesday. For individuals who do not want to donate money, #GivingTuesday is also an opportunity to give back through random acts of kindness or volunteer time to organizations in the community.

Below you can find contact information for the groups and, where available, more specifics about how to donate or events planned for GivingTuesday.

- American Heritage Wildlife Foundation

59895 Highway 200, Clark Fork; ahwf.org or 208-266-1488

In addition to Giving Tuesday donations, AHWF officials note there is a contest for charities to win $10,000! The top 20 stories to garnering the most votes will be sent to a panel of judges to determine the winners. The authors of these stories will be able to direct up to $10,000 to their favorite nonprofit organization.

A volunteer with American Heritage Wildlife Foundation has submitted her story with this unique link, https://binkd.co/nnedT. AHWF supporters can easily access this wonderful story on the #MyGivingStory website and VOTE!

- Arts Alliance (Creations)

334 N. First Ave., Suite 111, Sandpoint; creationsforsandpoint.org or 208-255-1782

Creations is closing in on our goal to raise $20,000 to build an indoor treehouse in our 7-12 year old discovery play area. With grants, donations and fundraisers, Creations has raised $14,000. All the money donated to Creations on Giving Tuesday will go directly to building the treehouse.

Donations can be made online at creationsforsandpoint.org, by sending a check to 334 N. First Ave., Suite 111 Sandpoint, ID 83864 or in person to our donations boxes at Creations.

- Bonner County History Museum

611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint; bonnercountyhistory.org or 208-263-2344

What can you buy with $5? At the Bonner County History Museum, $5 can buy more than a cup of coffee or a mid-week lunch special. What if we told you that with $5, you could make sure that a Bonner County student was able to tour the museum for free? Or, $5 could preserve a priceless artifact, pay to light up a ground breaking exhibit, or even keep a parking lot plowed through the winter. Sounds crazy, right? But it’s true.

Founded in 1972, the award winning Bonner County History Museum has been collecting, preserving, and presenting an impressive collection that has grown to include over one million objects, photos, books and more that tell the inspiring story of Bonner County. In an effort to continue its preservation efforts, as well as create vibrant education programs and events, provide free school tours for all Bonner County schools, and be an archival resource to the community, the museum is seeking to raise $8,000 by Giving Tuesday on December 3, 2019. Even better – the museum board has agreed to match the first $2,000 raised. And we plan to make this a reality $5.00 at a time.

We all have a part to play in preserving our history. What can you do? Go to bonnercountyhistory.org and click on the Giving Tuesday button to donate $5, or more, to the campaign.

- Bonner General Health Foundation

520 N. Third Ave., Sandpoint; bonnergeneral.org or 208-265-1123

Bonner General Health Foundation accepts contributions from individuals, corporations and other organizations. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors can request their gift be allocated for a specific purpose, or given as an unrestricted donation to be used where the need is the greatest, the foundation notes on its website.

- Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

Box 2061, Sandpoint; scotchmanpeaks.org

This holiday season, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness wants to focus on some other things we’re thankful for, too. That’s why we’re taking a little different approach to Giving Tuesday this year. The Friends are celebrating Giving Tuesday with a get-together at MickDuff’s Beer Hall in Sandpoint. From 5-8 p.m., come by with a receipt from a local retailer (dated no earlier than Nov. 29), for a chance to win prizes from the FSPW merch store. Or get a head start on holiday shopping with some FSPW gear for that special someone. Not the shopping type? You can still stop by for a cold one and a chat with some fellow Wilderness lovers.

Giving Tuesday is a reminder for communities that there are plenty of ways to support the causes you love. And that includes your wild backyard! You can volunteer at special events or connect friends to nature through guided hikes. You can spread the word about the many ways wild places improve our everyday lives. And of course, your financial donations support work to save the wild Scotchmans for our kids and grandkids.

- Kaniksu Land Trust

Box 2123, Sandpoint; kaniksulandtrust.org or 208-263-9471

KLT is committed to supporting the vibrant communities of north Idaho and northwest Montana, and preserving the lands and waters that sustain them, the land trust notes on its website. By applying a community-driven model to its conservation work, KLT is able to address community challenges while encouraging a strong conservation ethic.

Donation to Kaniksu Land Trust help support its work to protect valuable lands for future generations to farm, learn and play outside. These funds also provide free or low-cost educational programing, allow KLT to work with local schools to get children outside, and much more.

- Panhandle Community Radio, Inc. (KRFY)

Box 2465, Sandpoint; krfy.org or 208-265-2992

KRFY Panhandle Community Radio is a full-power, FM radio station that brings commercial-free radio to North Idaho, the statiion notes on its website. Commercial-free is important not just because the broadcasts will be without advertising breaks, but also because listeners will have access to news, music, and other programming that is not dominated by the corporations that increasingly influence the news and information we receive through mainstream media sources.

- Panida Theater

Box 1981, Sandpoint; panida.org or 208-255-7801

The Panida Theater opened as a vaudeville and movie house in 1927. Then, as now, its name reflected its mission: to showcase great performers and performances for audiences of the PANhandle of IDAho, Panida officials note on the theater’s website.

As a community-owned theater, the Panida depends on the participation of all kinds of people with all kinds of support. While financial assistance is very important to the theater one element of support that is just as important as money is time: the time people give to the Panida. We would be lost were it not for the Friends of The Panida.

- Pend Oreille Arts Council

Box 1694, Sandpoint; artinsandpoint.org or 208-263-6139

The Pend Oreille Arts Council exists to facilitate quality experiences in the arts through educational programs and presentations that benefit the people of North Idaho, the group notes on its website.

Pend Oreille Arts Council members believe that art has the potential to change lives. The nonprofit organization is passionate about bringing a robust schedule of programs to the Sandpoint area for people of all ages to express themselves and experience the wonder of creativity together — at POAC, in local public schools, and out in the community.

- Pflag Sandpoint

Box 574, Sandpoint; sandpointpflagblog.wordpress.com

Sandpoint PFLAG is working to make sure that all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer are not only valued by the community, but take pride in and value themselves, the group notes in its website. The group does this through providing peer-to-peer support, educating people on the issues that are important to the community, and advocating for inclusive policies and laws.

- Uryadi’s Village

Sandpoint; uryadisvillage.org

Uryadi’s Village is working to uplift communities in crisis in Soddo, Ethiopia, and elsewhere to create a blueprint for a self-sustaining village for orphaned children.

In Boundary County, participating groups include:

- Pawsitive Works

Box 1756, Bonners Ferry; 208-946-3883

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.