A Little Every Month Means a Lot More Than You Think

If you’re reading this, you probably already understand how important organizations like VOA-Greater New York are to the community. And there is a good chance you have given to causes you care about in the past, maybe even ours.

But have you considered giving monthly?

As Giving Tuesday and the season of charitable giving approach, here are some reasons to consider why you should:

You’ll be an agent of real change

As a public charity, VOA-Greater New York receives a significant amount of funding from city, state, and federal contracts.

While government funding is enough to provide basic services like beds for individuals and families in need of emergency shelter, it is not enough to deliver the high-quality services necessary to permanently change the lives of our neighbors in need.

For example, research shows that people who have struggled with homelessness would benefit from access to better quality medical care, job training and further education. Government contracts, for the most part, do not fund any of those things. Instead, organizations like ours rely on contributions from the community to provide many of these support services.

Your monthly donation can mean the difference between helping someone get off the street temporarily and helping them leave behind homelessness for good.

You’ll bestow constancy

Public funding often does not arrive in a timely manner, requiring organizations like VOA-Greater New York to take out large lines of credit while we wait.

Like a steady paycheck, your monthly donation can help us plan for the future—one that is inextricably linked to the futures of thousands of New Yorkers.

By giving to VOA-Greater New York on a regular basis, you can help us spearhead new initiatives that government contracts do not fund, undertakings that will allow us to address issues that have been longstanding barriers to success for our clients, like generational poverty and structural racism. You’ll not only be helping address the immediate needs of the community—you’ll be helping to create systemic change.

You’ll provide relief in a crisis

If a natural disaster like a hurricane or snowstorm strikes, emergency repairs must be made quickly. While there may be public funds available, it could be many months before those funds arrive.

In addition, sometimes these situations create new needs. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, when it was too risky for some clients to go to the grocery store, we had to create and stock food pantries almost overnight.

You’ll bring joy

While public funding might pay for basic childcare, it does not pay for school supplies, birthday parties for children, Thanksgiving turkeys, or holiday celebrations. Your monthly donation is critical to delivering some of the positive social experiences that many of us take for granted.

As a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness in the Greater New York area, we are grateful for every donation we receive. Every gift has the potential for impact, but by becoming a monthly donor, you can meaningfully contribute to the work we’re doing today and for many years to come. This Giving Tuesday, please consider becoming a monthly donor to help the giving season last all year.