MADISON, Wis. – Nonprofits all over Wisconsin are hoping for a boost on GivingTuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • GivingTuesday happens every year after the busiest shopping days

  • The goal is to give back to nonprofits who support the community

  • The Madison Cat Project operates mostly on donations, and is hoping to raise more than $40,000

  • Access to Independence is aiming to raise $1,000

After the biggest shopping days of the year, GivingTuesday encourages people to give back to the causes they care about.

Every year, hundreds of cats find new homes through the Madison Cat Project. The shelter doesn’t get any federal, state or county money. Most of its operating funds come from donations.

“Providing medical care and exams to all the cats that come in, providing spays and neuters to the animals in our care,” said executive director Charmaine Friar. “We also offer affordable spay neuter services to the public, and we’re able to keep those costs at very affordable level due to donations.”

On GivingTuesday 2022, the Project raised $40,000. This year, they have a donation match from the BerbeeWalsh Foundation to help them top that. All the money they raise goes toward operating costs and giving their shelter cats whatever they need.

“What I love is when people make their donations they’re often sharing a story about a cat that they adopted, from us or even a cat that they adopted from somewhere else,” Friar said. “It’s fun to read those stories.”

Access for Independence helps people with disabilities in Southwestern Wisconsin. They connect people with resources and programs.

“We deal a lot with housing questions, a lot of technology, advocacy issues, things like that. We do a lot around skills training,” said executive director Jason Beloungey.

They’re hoping to raise $1,000 on Tuesday.

“GivingTuesday is the last kind of push that we get at the end of the year to help fund all our programs and services,” said Access to Independence’s Amber Brunes.

GivingTuesday can look different for everybody. It’s an opportunity to give to the issues you care about.

“I don’t usually sleep the night before because I’m anxious,” said Friar. “As the day goes on, when you see those numbers climb … it’s so exciting!”

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