Ways to Help Nonprofits in Southern Nevada

Following two of the biggest shopping days of the year, Giving Tuesday celebrates generously giving back.

One of the most popular ways to participate is by donating directly to your favorite non-profit. Some companies will also give a percentage of sales to a nonprofit of their choice, offer matching grants to local organizations, participate in team volunteering and more.

Nonprofits to support causes of choice in the southern Nevada community include:

Animal Causes: Henderson’s Lion Habitat Ranch, a wildlife sanctuary with Nevada’s only giraffe and more than 25+ lions, emus, and more is open daily Thursday – Monday 10 – 2pm. They are accepting donations to help with the food and care of the animals (it is $10K a year to feed a male lion. The educational organization is also hosting Santa Claws December 23rd to Sunday, December 25th, from 11am to 3pm, last admission is at 2pm. For more information visit, lionhabitatranch.org.

Advocacy Causes: Save Red Rock, whose mission is to protect public lands and preserve the land around Red Rock Canyon (saveredrock.com), Las Vegas Pride, empowers the LGBT+ community of Southern Nevada to work together toward a culture of diversity and acceptance in the form of an annual Parade and Festival which offers monthly family bingo https://lasvegaspride.org/.

Project Marilyn’s goal is to period poverty in southern Nevada. As of this year, they have distributed more than 16,800 bags, a kit intended to have enough supplies for an entire menstrual cycle filled with tampons, pads, panty liners and hygiene wipes. www.projectmarilyn.com

The Cupcake Girls provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry, as well as trauma-informed outreach, advocacy, holistic resources, and referral services to provide prevention and aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking (thecupcakegirls.org)

Gift of Music: Jazz Outreach Initiative’s annual “JOI of Giving” campaign sustains and grows its mission work as we serve the community and this truly American art form, jazz! Chef Gio Mauro and his amazing team at Monzu Italian Oven + Bar have generously sponsored ten $100 gift cards to their acclaimed Italian restaurant. Jazz Outreach Initiative also offers its Jazz Routes program, which provides kids both an instrument and lessons at no cost. To donate, visit: www.joi-lv.org

Gift of Food: Serving Our Kids Foundation is dedicated to feeding and serving the needs of Clark County homeless, at-risk and food-insecure children by providing weekly, weekend meal bags to children who would otherwise go hungry when not in school.Each week, the foundation feeds 4,000 kids in 105 schools across Clark County who would otherwise go hungry. To donate, or volunteer (pack food bags, drive trucks) – visit servingourkids.org.

Gift of Sports: Donate court fees, gently used or new pickleball paddles, or help fund a child or veteran in the sport with southern Nevada Pickleball Club https://southernnevadapickleball.org/.

Sponsor a child to attend the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, and its Youth Partnership Program which provides underprivileged youth the chance to experience big time College Football. The LVB Huddle, which supports community and philanthropic efforts during the Bowl Week, such as with charities, Goodie Two Shoes Foundation, Make a Wish of Southern Nevada and Opportunity Village is also promoting the Las Vegas Bowl’s Extra Yard for Teachers Grant Program is to provide grants for funding innovative sports and leadership projects and to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers. Deadline is Nov. 30, to apply visit lvbowl.com.

Additional Upcoming Ways to Help Charities in Southern Nevada:

Purchase tickets for upcoming events to benefit nonprofits, such as the Las Vegas Fashion Council’s Little Black Dress Event on Dec. 1 to support fashion scholarships thru Public Education Foundation, the Great Santa Run for Opportunity Village, the Southern Nevada Pickleball Toys for Tots tournament, Dec.4 – 6 at Sun City Summerlin, Las Vegas Pride Family Bingo “Cowboy Christmas” at Resorts World on 12.7 and Vegas PBS’ Annual Tea on December 17 at the Four Seasons and Duke Ellington’s NUTCRACKER SUITE Featuring JOI Jazz Orchestra & Holiday Favorites with Clint Holmes on Dec. 22, 6pm at the Starbright Theater.

Enjoy the drive-thru “Christmas of Color” lights in the parking lot at Cowabunga Bay Waterpark in Henderson, where a portion of the proceeds benefits Make-a-Wish and guests are encouraged to donate coats with the Las Vegas Fashion Council to benefit Safe Nest, now thru December 7, at select locations including, Sunny Side Up Las Vegas, Best Agency, Sambalatte and Wicked Donuts.

Additionally, Pub 365 at Tuscany Suites is hosting a fundraiser for Toys for Tots now until December 16, every new and unwrapped toy donation will receive one drawing ticket or 2 Unicorn Beer purchases will receive two drawing tickets for amazing prizes. Sport enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl (12.17) and ONEVEGAS, all sports fundraiser to benefit Southern Nevadas Sports Hall of Fame (12.18) – lvbowl.com.

Examples of giving in the community include: Distill – a local bar and Remedy’s donating close to $100K to the Injured Police Officers Fund, Steelman Partners purchasing a Christmas Tree to benefit Opportunity Village, Massage Envy and Marissa Hawkins donating more than 4,000 books to Title I CCSD schools, Mead Law Group gave $15,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Nevada, Pub 365 hosting unicorn beer fundraiser for Toys for Tots, TREE of Life donated more than $85K year to Volunteers in Medicine (also a giving machine recipient at Downtown Summerlin, Abiility Center of Southern Nevada, Armed Forces and Military Veterans and LGBTQ Center. Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) of Las Vegas presenting Women Veterans of Nevada with a $9,450.59 donation, John Katsilometes hosting a fundraiser in the Piazza Lounge to benefit the REAL MEN WEAR PINK campaign for the American Cancer Society of Nevada, Google donated monies to Serving Our Kids to will cover costs to provide an incremental 800 children with a weekly, weekend meal bag during the school year and Cox Communications donated $5500 to Vegas PBS to help fund its PBS Kids Stem Initiative.

Beyond donating money, you can participate simply by doing things like volunteering and spreading the spirit of doing good by sharing posts on social media that highlight people giving back with the hashtag #GivingTuesday.

Both Project Marilyn and Serving our Kids Foundation offer all ages volunteer opportunities for all ages of delivering, bagging and packing products. Clark County Medical Society Alliance also chose Project Marilyn as its 2022-2023 charity of choice. and since July have volunteered 88 individual hours. Mondays Dark also donated to both charities this year and is celebrating with its 9 year anniversary on December 12.

For information on upcoming charitable events, visit https://www.mastercalendarlasvegas.com/.