Eastern Christian's Giving Tuesday tops $200k
On November 29, 2022, Eastern Christian School participated in Giving Tuesday. However, this year was especially significant as it was one of the most successful years EC has ever had, with a grand total of more than $211,000.
Giving Tuesday is something that happens every year but what actually is Giving Tuesday? Ms. Tonnie Chen, the director of the annual fund, says, “Giving Tuesday specifically refers to the Tuesday immediately following Thanksgiving and has become a global giving movement that encourages people and organizations to donate their time and money to charitable causes in a day of generosity.” There are many steps that EC has to take in order to achieve a successful Giving Tuesday. First, Giving Tuesday gifts go into the Annual Fund, which helps “every student on every campus, every day. To put it simply, the Annual Fund is the engine for enriching each student’s experience at EC. Every aspect of the school that is beyond the basics is funded by the Annual Fund,” says Ms. Chen.
To make it a successful Giving Tuesday there are many things that the school needs to do. For instance, Ms. Chen explains, “since Giving Tuesday is a worldwide initiative, people can become inundated with giving requests and communications so it takes time to plan out and develop a strategy that will allow Eastern Christian School to stand out among all the other emails and campaigns.” This year there was a $75,000 match donation from Wayne Tile, which helped a lot in making this year successful. Other factors that made this year successful included “the generosity, support, and prayers of our parents, staff, faculty, friends, and businesses,” added Ms. Chen.
Eastern Christian has participated in Giving Tuesday since 2014 and throughout the years EC has been incredibly blessed. Ms. Chen would like to add “all of our donors deserve and have our deepest appreciation. Every gift, great and small, makes a difference. We are grateful for every donation because of the support and care it represents, and we do also want to recognize Wayne Tile for their wonderful $75,000 matching gift that started our campaign off.”
Maura Brynes, executive director of the foundation, concludes, “we are blessed to be part of a community that loves others and gives joyfully. We will continue to invite support and participation in the work of the Foundation to ensure our school stays strong, now and for future generations. This is part of our legacy.”