As we begin the holiday season, a time that is usually marked by gift giving and celebration, communities across the country are facing new challenges. The health concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to create uncertainty, and many families are left to wonder when it will be safe to travel to see their loved ones. After months of economic hardship, the loss of income and the closing of local businesses, shopping and gift giving are also more daunting. At a time like this, giving may seem overwhelming, but it has also never been more necessary. The 1:1 Fund’s annual Giving Tuesday campaign is an opportunity to support CSA programs that help children, especially those from low-income families, build savings for postsecondary education.  

This year,  many of the 1:1 Fund’s partner CSA programs have expanded their program operations to meet the basic needs of their participating children and families while continuing to promote the importance of long-term savings.  

• Lansing SAVE purchased 110 $50 gift cards to Kroger, an area grocery chain, to distribute to participating families in need.  

• Oakland Promise shifted some of its focus to resource sharing and creating several “how-to videos” that explained the process for filing unemployment claims and accessing stimulus checks. It also established The Dreamcatcher Fund to provide emergency assistance for more than 1,400 Oakland Promise Scholars to continue pursuing their college degrees.  

These are just a few examples of the ways that CSA programs have worked both to meet the needs of the moment and helped children and their families continue to look toward a brighter future. This Giving Tuesday, we ask that those who can donate consider supporting one of our partner CSA programs. 

Fourteen of our partners are participating in Giving Tuesday, and you can find links to their individual donation pages here. The 1:1 Fund will provide bonus funding to all partners to support them during this challenging time and will also match the first $1,500 in donations received by each partner on Giving Tuesday. Please give as generously as you are able to and support the following impactful local CSA initiatives:  

• By Degrees CSA Program (Des Moines, IA) 

• College Kids (St. Louis, MO)  

• El Monte Promise Foundation (El Monte, CA)  

• “I Have A Dream” Foundation (Newark, NJ)  

• Inversant (Boston, MA)  

• KC Scholars (Kansas City, MO)  

• Kindergarten to College (San Francisco, CA)  

• Kickstart to Career Muskegon (Muskegon County, MI) 

• Lansing SAVE (Lansing, MI)   

• Oakland Promise (Oakland, CA)  

• Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition (Oklahoma City, OK)  

• Promise Indiana (Wabash, IN)  

• Providence Promise (Providence, RI)  

• SEED Success (Columbia, MO)  

To support all of the 1:1 Fund’s program partners, you can also make a tax-deductible contribution to the National Match Pool. Donations to the National Match Pool are used to match the contributions of local donors to 1:1 Fund partners and help encourage additional giving during quarterly fundraising campaigns.   

Thank you for your continued support of the 1:1 Fund, and have a happy and safe holiday season!