There’s apparently a software or service for charities, called Give♡BIG. It’s run by Washington Gives, which seems to be a charity that provides services for other charities.
Washington Gives says it’s powered by 501 Commons, “a 501c3 tax-exempt charitable organization that provides 30+ services that amplify the strengths of nonprofits, including finance, HR, technology, data solutions, board development, planning, leadership development, events and training, and free information and referral services.”
Clicking around further, I see that “Washington Gives is made possible by our collaboration with Mightycause, Encore Media Group, and GivingTuesday.”
Until this morning, I had never heard of any of these groups. I became curious after receiving a flurry of incoming emails, all branded Give♡BIG, and asking me to do exactly that — Give♡BIG. That’s the catch phrase and logo, splattered across the 26 (twenty-six) Give♡BIG emails I’ve received from six non-profits over the past several days.
Each of the six non-profits asking me to Give♡BIG is local, known to me, and respected by me. I’ve donated to four of them in the past, and almost certainly will in the future. They’re good guys, not phony charities that pay executives huge salaries or spend most incoming funds on new campaigns asking donors to give more. Nothing on this page is a criticism of any of those local non-profits.
I hope and have no reason to doubt that Washington Gives, 501 Commons, Mightycause, Encore Media Group, and GivingTuesday are good guys, too.
Cordially and cheerfully, here’s a suggestion for Give♡BIG, or Washington Gives, or 501 Commons — wherever someone dreamed up ‘Give♡BIG,’ as a tagline, theme, and logo:
Nothing is gained by having separate charities gang up on potential donors with a flurry of emails, all branded Give♡BIG. After the tenth email, it feels like we’re being targeted by Big Give♡BIG.
Yelling Give♡BIG at poor people is counterproductive. It hasn’t quite gotten on my nerves, but it’s nerve-adjacent. The implication — that nobody’s really given unless they’ve Given♡BIG — is not heartwarming for people who can’t Give♡BIG, people for whom what we’ve already given is the biggest Give♡BIG we can afford.
Give♡WHATYOUCAN might come across less like haranguing, and be more likely to bring in more donations, than sending so many emails asking poor people to Give♡BIG.
5/8/2025
Leave a Reply