Spirit of Giving: 444 Nonprofits To Support In Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC — It's easy to find a charity. Swing a stick and you'll hit some organization, somewhere, raising money for some cause. But many want to keep it truly local, and help the neighbors around you or the charities that operate right in your community.

The season of giving is upon us. After we smash into people with our carts and knock everyone over at the retail stores for Black Friday, and sit online grabbing red hot deals on Cyber Monday, we turn our thoughts to #GivingTuesday.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season on Nov. 28. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources, said the organization.

According to Share Charlotte, there are 444 nonprofits in the Queen City region in a range of categories devoted to children and families to the environment and animals, all operating from or helping in the Charlotte metro area. You can click here to find a searchable list of those nonprofit organizations.

Would you like to feel a more direct investment? The site also has 277 opportunities to donate time through volunteering. You can find a list of those Charlotte-area opportunities here.

Beyond monetary donations and volunteering assistance, nonprofits often need stuff to complete their mission. Things like toiletries for homeless shelters, home items for refugee resettlement organizations, and office supplies are in high demand at local nonprofits. You can find more than 2,000 items on the regional wishlist here, which will be shipped directly to the organization.

What nonprofit do you support? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Patch Editor Charlene Arsenault contributed to this report.

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