This article by Suzanne Elliott is courtesy of the Beaver County Times:
Michael Rubino, like many who live in Beaver County, is waiting on pins and needles to see if Shell Chemicals builds its $2.5 billion ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.
Rubino, the president of United Way of Beaver County in Center Township, wants to see the new jobs and the economic infusion of dollars that the refinery will bring to the county. He also wants Shell to become part of the local corporate community so that he can ask for a monetary donation to help his agency with its mission to lend a helping hand to those in need.
“We are hoping to rebound this year,” said Rubino, referring to the economy’s ongoing recovery from the 2009 recession.
“There are a lot of hungry people in Beaver County,” he said.
And the task won’t be easy since Horsehead Corp. moved operations to North Carolina and Michael Baker Corp. was acquired last year by a private equity firm in Virginia. Both companies were big corporate contributors to the Beaver County United Way.
Still, things aren’t so bad and are pretty good all things considered, Rubino said. To date, around $250,000, mostly through individual payroll deductions, has been pledged or donated this year. By comparison, for the same period a year earlier, the amount was $188,000. Overall, Rubino said he hopes to raise $700,000.
While Shell agreed in November to exercise its option and buy the 300-acre former Horsehead site, the company has yet to say whether it will construct the refinery.
“They could be a game changer for us,” said Rubino, adding that he has spoken with Shell officials and that the energy giant is a United Way supporter.
And Rubino’s fund-raising efforts should get a nice boost Tuesday, the date of the third annual Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday, held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a national event started in 2012 as a response to the commercialization of the holiday shopping season. The occasion was initiated by the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City as a way to celebrate the American tradition of giving and act as an antidote to consumerism. Other founding partners of the event include J.C. Penney, the Salvation Army, Microsoft, Sony and Skype Technologies.
The movement is now held around the world — from Australia to Canada — with more than 10,000 organizations participating worldwide. On Tuesday, for-profit companies, for example, can designate recipients for any money they raise during the 24 hours. People can volunteer their time, too, at any nonprofit of their choice.
“Any gift is important,” said Michael Harrick, president of the Beaver County YMCA in Rochester Township.
For example, on the Giving Tuesday Facebook page, Blinkbuggy, a web application, will donate $1 to Baby Buggy, a New York City nonprofit to provide essential equipment to needy families for every #GiveAMemory social media post on #GivingTuesday.
Alison Douglass, fund development coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Beaver County in Beaver Falls, said her organization, will be participating in the event through social media
“We are seeing more regular donors,” said Douglass when asked about her group’s fundraising. “Volunteers and donations is what sustains us. Without one of the two, we would not be able to continue.”
Giving Tuesday raised $32.335 million last year, according to The Non Profit Times, a publication geared for nonprofit management industry.
But still, how do you guarantee that your donation will go to the right charity regardless if it is Giving Tuesday or not? Do research first, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC said a warning flag should be raised if a charity refuses to provide information about its mission and how the donation will be used, or won’t provide information about whether the donation is tax deductible. Other signs that the charity might be a scam include asking for donations in cash, or asking that the money be wired; using a name that resembles a better-known and respected organization, or thanking you for a pledge you don’t remember making.
Consumers need to ask charities for address and phone number, the FTC said. They can also and find out if the charity or fundraiser is registered in the state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials. Plus, know the difference between tax exempt – reduces or eliminates your obligation to pay tax — and tax deductible — reduction of income subject to tax.
And finally, be leery of charities that spring up in response to a disaster. The FTC said even if the charity is legitimate, it may not have the infrastructure in place to get donations to the affected area, or people.
