Give to the Max Day, a statewide effort to spotlight Minnesota nonprofits, is celebrating 15 years on Nov. 16.
It was started in 2009 and raised about $14 million that year. In 2022, the number rose to around $34 million.
As nonprofit organizations make a push for donors on Thursday, UMD Senior Development Officer Bryce Nixon share a few tips to make sure your dollars make the biggest difference.
- Think about causes and organizations you regularly support
- Visit organizations’ websites to learn about current needs and matches
- Use GiveMN‘s tools
- Make a giving budget
- Leave room for a new organization or two
Nixon also says nonprofits in Greater Minnesota don’t generally get as much funding, so they run on donors’ support. The same goes for BIPOC-led and serving and LGBTQ+-led and serving groups.
The IRS offers a tool to verify an organization’s tax-exempt status, and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office also has a charity search tool.
To research groups’ mission, goals, and accountability measures, Nixon suggests the Minnesota Charities Review Council and Candid/GuideStar.