The Season of Giving

Photo by Liza Summer

During the holiday season, more and more people and organizations need some help to get through.

While you may have the desire and good intentions to help others, you may also be wary of handing out your hard-earned cash because you don’t want to be inundated with asks or feel like you’re being taken advantage of.

Thankfully, there are ways to get through the “fundraising season” with your sanity intact, in addition to supporting some worthy causes and keeping some money in your account. Here’s how:

Support Programs that Are Important to You

There may be a lot of places asking for money, but you don’t have to give to them all. If you won the lottery and you need some tax write-offs, then give out as much as you can. However, since the chances of you being a lottery winner are fairly low, then you’ll want to consider supporting the programs that are most important to you.

Love animals? Support a local animal shelter.

Want to see young adults become future leaders? Support a mentor program.

Enjoy youth sports? Volunteer to be a coach or send money to help pay for new uniforms.

The list of places you can support is endless, so find something that really appeals to you.

Give Within Your Means

When supporting your favorite organization, you may want to do as much as you can to ensure they have enough funds. While this is noble, you also need to live your life and have money for the things you enjoy. Giving within your means will lower your stress levels, while also boosting your good feels.

Trust us: any amount that you donate to your program of choice will have an impact—and it will be appreciated. Sure, donors who give large amounts of money get a lot of recognition, and you can certainly donate a large amount if you want, but people who give smaller amounts are just as valuable.

Encourage Others to Support

Telling your friends and family about your favorite organization(s) and encouraging them to support is a great way to increase the number of donations that are received. Remember, a large group of individuals giving smaller donations can still have a huge impact. Spread the word and get others as excited about specific programs as you are.

Being a generous person is commendable, but this time of year can be tough. It seems like no matter where you turn, someone wants some money from you. You can be selectively supportive of your favorite programs and impact people in need. No matter what you give, it’s enough.

Where Does My Donation Go?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Recently, there were articles in the paper that talked about how a nonprofit was not receiving all of the donations they were supposed to receive. In fact, most of the money was going to the company that helped them raise the funds.

As a donor, that can feel really icky. It may make you wonder why you’re donating money at all. Your goal is to help people, but if they aren’t receiving the money, what’s the point of donating?

We would like to tell you that this doesn’t happen often; that most nonprofits get 100% of their donations, but we can’t. What the newspaper article talks about is actually a pretty common practice.

You are a generous person. You are doing what you can to make a difference in the world, and it can be incredibly frustrating and surprising to know that your donation isn’t doing what you thought it would do.

Here at the PVLA, we can’t speak for other nonprofits, but we can tell you where your money is going when you donate to us.

Where Your Donation Goes

The first thing to keep in mind when you donate to the PVLA is that we don’t use a middle man to help us raise funds. We either apply for grants or take donations directly. That eliminates needing to pay an outside source for fundraising services.

There is a bit of a caveat in that statement, however. The only time we may not receive the full amount of a donation is if you donate through our online site. Then, the company that processes your payment will take a small fee. However, you have the option of covering that fee, and then we get 100% of the money you donate.

Once you make a donation, how the money is used depends on whether or not restrictions have been placed on the gift.

When it comes to grants, those are typically allocated to a specific purpose, so the money can only be spent on certain things. This blog post gives more information about grants.

When it comes to donations from individuals or private donors, it’s possible for you to allocate your money to a specific program or endeavor. If you do that, the PVLA can only spend the money according to your wishes.

 
However, if you don’t specify how you want your money spent, then it might go into the General Fund. That means the money can be spent at the discretion of the executive director and/or the board of directors. Your money may be used for cleaning supplies or classroom supplies, potentially even to pay instructor salaries. It will be used where it’s most needed.

The Benefits of General Funds

Hearing that your donation might go into the General Fund might sound disconcerting. You might be thinking that buying cleaning supplies isn’t a good use of your money.

That’s fine. It’s your donation, so if you want it to be used in a specific way, let us know.

However, there are benefits to having money in the General Fund.

Sure, buying cleaning supplies doesn’t sound overly helpful or generous, but it does make a difference. Students deserve to come to a clean learning environment, and money is needed to buy those supplies.

Using General Funds to pay for overhead costs, including salaries or bills, is also beneficial. If bills aren’t paid, then we lose our building. If people aren’t paid, then there’s no one here to run the nonprofit.

General Funds are the lifeblood of what we do. Yes, it’s nice and beneficial to have funding for programs, but we also need to keep the lights on—and that’s what the General Fund does.

Having unrestricted funds is just as important as getting grants. We need money for a variety of expenses that are part of running our nonprofit.

All Donations Welcome

Making a donation to a nonprofit is an incredibly generous thing to do, and it does help others. However, we get that it can be upsetting and disheartening to know that the money isn’t going where it’s supposed to go or that the full amount isn’t making an impact.

However, here at the PVLA, all donations make a difference and make an impact on students—whether they are grants allocated to a specific program or unrestricted gifts that may find themselves in the General Fund.

You don’t even have to donate a huge amount to make an impact. If you read this blog post, you’ll see that even $1 can make a difference.

Again, we can’t speak for all nonprofits. There are places that don’t see all the money they raise, but when you donate to us, we use that money to ensure our students are taken care of in a variety of beneficial ways.

What Does it Mean to Get Grants?

Photo by 金 运 on Unsplash

If you follow our Facebook page, then you’ve probably noticed a lot of posts about grants that the PVLA has received. You might be thinking: Wow! Good for them!

You might also be thinking: What’s up with all these grants? What exactly is a grant?

And these are reasonable questions. This post will help clear up any confusion. 😊

What Are Grants?

In essence, grants are funds that are awarded to a nonprofit from some type of foundation, organization, or business. More often than not, the PVLA has to apply for these funds, and the awarding entity decides if our cause is worthy of money.

Grant funds are typically restricted, which means that they can only be used for a specific program or purpose.

For example, the PVLA offers a wide range of classes, including Book Club, Integration Class, Conversational English, Citizenship, etc. While all of these classes are amazing and help students become successful, they are not all covered by grant money.

Some organizations prefer to fund very specific programs, such as Tyson Foods awarding a grant specifically for the Introductory ESL class.

Or the Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation specifically sending money for the Integration and Citizenship classes.

When a grantor restricts funds to specific programs, the PVLA can only spend the money on those specific programs.

And those are perfectly reasonable and accepted practices. Every entity has something different they are interested in and want to support, so they send funds to help with causes/classes they care about.

Why So Many Grants?

And that brings us to why the PVLA has so many grants. With each one being allocated to a specific program, we need to make sure we have the funds necessary to pay instructors and provide students with up-to-date learning materials.

That’s why we have received so many grants recently. Each one takes care of a different program and ensures our nonprofit has what it needs to provide for students.

Having that many grants is a good thing. It means that others are invested in our mission and want to see the PVLA and our students succeed.

Grants Are Not Guaranteed

One thing to keep in mind with grants is that they are not guaranteed. The PVLA has been incredibly lucky to receive the funds that we have, and the money is used exactly for what it’s supposed to be used for.

We are so grateful to the foundations, organizations, and businesses that have awarded us grants so far this year. Again, it shows that these other places are just as invested in our mission as we are. With those funds, we get to keep providing services.

Celebrate Good Times

So, when you see a post on Facebook or even here on the blog talking about grants that the PVLA has been awarded, we hope that you celebrate with us. A win for us is a win for our students, which in turn is a win for Columbus. 

We are all intertwined, and what benefits one of us, benefits us all.

Once again, here’s a big THANK YOU to the entities that have awarded us grants so far:

Tyson Foods

Columbus Area United Way

Our local Walmart

Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation

Dollar General

Who Are You Giving to?

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a worldwide phenomenon that encourages individuals to donate to their favorite causes. It started in 2012 in response to the commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and encourages people to do something good. In the past decade, Giving Tuesday has developed into a global movement that has inspired and encouraged hundreds of millions of people to donate and celebrate generosity.

When is Giving Tuesday?

November 28th, 2023

Why Should You Donate to Platte Valley Literacy?

Columbus, Nebraska, is special. Within the state of Nebraska, Columbus is the most highly industrial city per capita—which means that there are lot of jobs and a lot of opportunities. People come here to work hard and grab their slice of the American dream. From the Congo to Mexico to Cuba and everywhere in between, our community is incredibly diverse. Everyone here is looking for the best life they can find for themselves and their families, and there are many different ways to achieve those goals.

But there are also challenges that stand in people’s way.

Here at Platte Valley Literacy, our mission is to break down those barriers.

Whether a person is looking to improve their English-speaking skills, earn their citizenship, or increase their employability skills, we are here to help.

But we can’t do it alone.

The vast majority of our classes are offered at no charge to students, but we still have to pay instructors and ensure they have classrooms to teach in. Technology also assists in student instruction, and we need to be able to keep equipment and other educational materials up to date.

As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generosity of others to provide the invaluable services that people need.

We empower individuals to reach their educational goals, and your donation on Giving Tuesday ensures that we have what we need to provide students with high-quality instructors and up-to-date materials and technology.

Here are a few ways to participate in Giving Tuesday:

1. Make a donation

To make it as easy as possible, we offer a variety of ways to make a donation to the PVLA. You can head over to our online donation site or send a check or money order to:

Platte Valley Literacy
3020 18th St, Box 3, Suite 4
Columbus, NE 68601

2. Spread the Word

Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about our services. Chances are, you know someone who could benefit from what we have to offer. The more you share, the more individuals we can help.

3. Become a Volunteer

Giving Tuesday isn’t just about sending your favorite organization money, it’s also about volunteering your time to causes you truly care about. If you want to help adult learners succeed, then contact the PVLA to see how you can volunteer.

The PVLA has been a part of the Columbus community since the 1980s, and it makes us so proud to know that we have helped—and will continue to help—individuals fulfill their goals and dreams for a better life. By working together, we can make Columbus a welcoming place for all and ensure that everyone feels like a valued member of the community.

 

Stories from Students Who Have Benefitted from PVLA Services

For many, being able to live in the U.S. is the ultimate dream. There are a variety of things that make this country appealing, including the freedom and the employment and educational opportunities. As an immigrant, the benefits that come with obtaining a U.S. citizenship include the ability to vote, bring family members to the U.S., travel with a U.S. passport (and get help from the U.S. government while abroad), protection from deportation, and being eligible for federal jobs, among others.

A recent citizenship student from Afghanistan was thrilled to be in our evening citizenship class and unashamedly spoke of his gratefulness. He had no formal education past elementary school but learned English on his own after coming to the United States to live. He explained that because he had left Afghanistan to come to the United States, he could never go back, or he would be killed. This student was overjoyed after earning his U.S. citizenship and plans to work tirelessly to petition for his family so that they too can enjoy the freedom and safety of the United States.

To become a citizen, there is a process that must be followed, which involves being able to pass a test. Many immigrants do not possess the knowledge needed to pass the exam, but the information can be learned—and that’s where the Platte Valley Literacy Association comes into play.

Javier is from Guanajuato, Mexico, and he came to the U.S. with his father to work when he was 14 years old. Six months later, his father returned to Mexico, leaving Javier behind. Speaking no English and working to survive, Javier did not have the chance to finish school. He struggled but worked hard to get to where he is now. His story is very touching because he never took life for granted. Fast forward many years later... he now has a beautiful family, which consists of his wife and two kids.

Javier started with ESL (English as a Second Language) and transitioned to GED. It took him 3 years to complete his GED (it could have been less, but COVID impacted a lot). When he started GED classes, he was having a tough time learning with others, as every student had different subjects to focus on. He decided to work directly with a tutor. Janet, his tutor, focused on one subject at a time until he passed all subjects.

His two goals when starting the program were to become a leader at his job and obtain his GED. He has met both goals. Javier is a robot programmer at Columbus Hydraulics and earned a certificate. He has been working there for 8 years and is involved in big projects. He plans to focus on his projects and programming. Always striving to be better, his message to others is: “If I worked 10.5 hours every day, had parent commitments, and I still found time for education, you all can do it too!” He always went by a quote when challenges presented themselves: “Let’s try it.” Whether he failed or stumbled, he learned something and got better.

A New Way to Support the PVLA

Here at the PVLA, we are always looking for ways to best serve the community. In most cases, that applies to the classes we offer, but it goes beyond that. To best serve our students, we need to ensure we have enough funds.

When it comes to donations, no amount is too small. From $5 to $500, any money we receive benefits students. To ensure our donors can get us those funds, we have a new online giving page.

Whether you want to give a general donation or want to become a Snack Sponsor, you can now achieve your goals quickly and easily through our giving site.

Don’t worry: if you prefer to send in paper checks, you still have that option as well. However, we hope you’ll at least check out our new giving site and let us know what you think!

The Generosity of Others

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

There is nothing more exciting than opening the mailbox and finding a check waiting for you. Even if you were expecting the money, it still brings a smile to your face and makes the world seem a little brighter. If you weren’t expecting the money, then seeing a check is even more exciting and memorable.

A few weeks ago, here at the PVLA, we were surprised with a grant check for $5,000 from an anonymous donor. We had applied for the money, but it was uncertain whether we’d get it. Until the check is in our hands, we never take anything for granted (play-on words done purposefully 😊).

The money has been allocated to support our programming, which means it will have a direct impact on our students and instructors.

Without grant allocations, the PVLA wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We rely on the generosity of others, and we are always impressed with how many people share our vision of helping adult students become successful.

Here’s to the amazing donors in the world that share our vision of empowering individuals to reach their educational goals!

Photo by Lip on Unsplash