Lady LUX

Today is a day to give. It is Give Out Day, the first national giving day just for LGBTQ causes. Until midnight tonight, Bolder Giving will be sponsoring an online contest to raise funds – hopefully in the realm of millions – for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer organizations. Powered by Razoo, the giving campaign hopes to attract thousands of new and old donors along with the new dollars.

All you have to do is donate online through GiveOutDay.org. Anyone in the United States and territories is invited to participate. LGBTQ organizations are pumping up the day through social media outreach, live events and phone banks to reach as many potential contributors as possible.

“Less than 5 percent of the LGBTQ community currently gives to LGBTQ causes, according to research from the Horizons Foundation and the Movement Advancement Project,” said Bolder Giving’s Executive Director Jason Franklin. “Give OUT Day promotes a new way of giving by harnessing the power of social media and Razoo’s crowdfunding platform to inspire thousands to contribute within a 24-hour giving challenge. Give OUT Day aims to raise awareness of the need to support LGBTQ nonprofits and elevate the level of LGBTQ philanthropy.”

Organizations benefitting include the Human Rights Campaign, Gay & Lesbian Straight Education Network, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and another 400 or so more.

Before the day began, donors already amassed more than $60,000 in cash and prizes to raise the giving level and the fun competition. The LGBTQ organizations that score in the top three in five separate categories as having the highest number of donors will benefit from cash awards of up to $5,000. Each hour $500 Rainbow Tickets will be handed out to motivate the organizations to keep up the pace of drawing in the donations.

“We are proud to be part of this historic Give OUT Day for the LGBTQ community,” said Razoo CEO Lesley Mansford. “Our Giving Day model is becoming increasingly popular because it rallies entire communities to act as one over a short, 24-hour period. We’ve had organizations raise many millions of dollars by combining their efforts and by utilizing Razoo's online fundraising platform to enhance engagement, friendly competition, rewards and fun. With such a tightly knit and passionate group as the LGBTQ community, we anticipate that Give OUT Day will be a great success.”

BolderGiving is a nonprofit organization committed to encouraging individuals to “Give More. Risk More. Inspire More.” In 2011, the organization unveiled an LGBTQ Equality Initiative to particularly target the LGBTQ community, and Give OUT Day is a key part of this effort.

Razoo is dedicated to crowdfunding for causes, sponsoring simple acts of charity that together, although small, have the power to change the world. Whether multi-million-dollar Giving Days or just people collection donations, Razoo has assisted in raising more than $152 million online.

For more information about participating organizations, live events, outreach and more, or to donate, visit www.giveoutday.org.

Tagged in: gay, bouldergiving, bisexual, razoo, queer, give out day, transgender, lgbtq, lesbian,

Lifestyle / Causes