As the most popular time for giving to charity for the year ends, the need for charitable donations continues, particularly in regards to aiding those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
57 percent of Ask Your Target Market respondents said they planned to give in some form over the 2012 holiday season. In 2010, Causes.com found that people were 34 percent more likely to give during the holidays.
Many fundraising events were held during the holiday season, such as the “12-12-12” concert, presented by Chase and held at Madison Square Garden on December 12th. The 12-12-12 concert site is still accepting donations to the Robin Hood Relief Fund. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to recover from the hurricane.
Hurricane Sandy Still Effecting Families
FEMA reported 86,000 households have registered for federal assistance, while 40,000 were initially reported homeless by Mayor Bloomberg due to Hurricane Sandy. Some families that were housed following the hurricane are now seeking housing, as WBAI Radio, a nonprofit station broadcasting to the Metropolitan New York city region, reports over 100 families initially put up in hotels are now being evicted, while thousands of those affected by Hurricane Sandy are still without homes.
Clean Up Efforts Continue
Sand and debris cleanup efforts are just wrapping up on the Queens and Rockaway beaches according to The New York Times. Quality Mat Company, an industrial mat manufacturer based in Beaumont, Texas , has provided ground protection mats for use in Hurricane Sandy cleanup efforts. But in addition to providing ground protection mats, Quality Mat Company is urging businesses and individuals to make charitable contributions to assist with the relief.
A Call for Charity
For Quality Mat Company, charitable giving isn’t just an event to write off every December. At Quality Mat Company, 90% of charitable efforts are focused to the local community, year round, to make the biggest impact according to Quality Mat Company founder, Joe Penland.
“Our goal every year is to give a minimum of 25-30% of our net profit away to charity,” says Penland. In fact, the 100% of net proceeds from the Quality Mat Houston office is donated to charity.
Year round efforts to support charitable causes through Quality Mat Company include sponsorship of the Girl’s Haven Golf Tournament every spring and regular involvement in the Desire Street Ministries, Boy’s Haven, and Julie Roger’s Gift of Life Program.
“We would hope everyone continues to give year round, not just during the holidays,” asks Penland.
Non-profit organizations that are accepting donations year round and help with disaster relief include, American Red Cross, Feeding America, and Hope for New York. Quality Mat Company urges individuals and businesses alike to contribute to these charities and aid in the disaster cleanup efforts.
