It’s Not Just Cinco de Mayo. It’s Giving Tuesday!    

Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash

Today is Giving Tuesday.

Wait, it’s not November, you say. That’s true. This day of charitable giving usually falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Nonprofits introduced it in 2011 in response to Cyber Monday.

But this year, a second Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesdayNow) has been introduced because of the global spread of COVID-19 and the resulting economic shutdown.

Here are some groups participating in the Baltimore area:

Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund: This is an easy one. Give $5 and it will be matched by Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, who have pledged to donate up to $5,000 in matching funds. Overall the group hopes to raise $10,000 today for micro-grants for workers and owners. bmorerestaurantrelief.org/donate

Maryland School for the Blind: The school hopes to raise funds to meet the distance learning needs of its students. Both Lewis Contractors, an Owings Mills-based construction company, and Kitchens to Go in Illinois have pledged $20,000 to the effort. Both pledges are matching gift challenges. marylandschoolfortheblind.org

Maryland Women’s Heritage Center: This nonprofit shares the stories of women throughout our state’s history. Visit its website to make a donation. mdwomensheritagecenter.org

Moms As Entrepreneurs: The founders of this nonprofit are setting up a special relief fund for mom-owned businesses. Grants of $500 to $1,000 will be given to entrepreneurs in all industries and are meant to help those shut out from other sources of funding. The group hopes to raise $25,000. maeentrepreneur.com

SNF Parkway Theatre: SNF has been keeping its virtual theatre open during this time and regularly offering new independent films to stream. Now it hopes to raise funds for several programs, including its World Cinema Café, Baltimore Student Film Showcase and Maryland Film Fest Balti-Shorts, which streams today for free. mdfilmfest.com

Got a favorite nonprofit? Check their website to find out how you can help them today. Want to know more about #GivingTuesdayNow? Follow this link.

About Jessica Gregg

Jessica Gregg is the former editor of Baltimore's Child. She is a happy rowhouse dweller and mother of two.

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