Best Day to Donate to the IHE All Year!
(originally published in the Jewish Press)
Have Some Chili for Charity!!!
by Solomon Kleinsmith
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Institute for Holocaust Education
On Wednesday, May 22, the Omaha Community Foundation is holding a unique fundraising event. Modeled after successful events of the same kind in cities across the country, Omaha Gives! aims to bring attention to local nonprofits and rally our community to help fund their efforts through donation matching and a big promotional push from organizations and their supporters.
The Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) and the Plains States Region of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are participating, hoping that it mirrors the success of similar events in a dozen cities around the country, including Boston, Miami and San Diego. The Omaha Community Foundation hopes to encourage donors to contribute by providing a pool of matching funds and by gathering so many organizations and supporters to promote the event far and wide around the city.
The more people make their fully tax-deductible contributions to organizations they support, above the minimum $10 donation, the more those organizations will get from the pool of matching funds.
Community members can show their support of IHE and its continued work by donating online or by visiting Julio’s West, located on the South side of Center and 123rd Street, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on May 22! Come share some guacamole for a good cause with friends and family — just mention to your server that you want to support the IHE and 15% of your bill will be donated.
This is a great chance for supporters, especially smaller donors, to see their donations amplified by the pool of matching funds that the Omaha Community Foundation has raised. Supporters can also help by sharing links to the donation forms with friends and family that support the work being done by IHE - on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, to those on their email contact list and by word of mouth.
Liz Feldstern, Executive Director at IHE, is looking forward to the opportunity. “I am so excited that IHE is involved in this type of broad-based fundraiser,” she exclaimed. “IHE programs have impacted so many schools and students in Omaha, we hope that all of our supporters in the community will make a point of contributing on May 22, either online or at Julio’s West.”
Online donation forms will be up on the IHE website www.ihene.org from midnight to midnight on May 22. You can find out more about the Omaha Gives! 24-hour charitable challenge at their website www.omahagives24.org, where you’ll also be able to donate the day of the event.
For any questions or to learn more about the Institute for Holocaust Education, contact Liz Feldstern at lfeldstern@ihene.org or 402.334.6575.