Bellingham nonprofit marks $1 million giving milestone

DAVE GALLAGHER of THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

A Bellingham nonprofit reached a significant milestone and also received a bit of unexpected help.

Giving Anonymously, which assists people in helping others without revealing their identity, recently passed the $1 million mark in gifts sent out.

The three-year-old organization will take a donation from someone who doesn’t want to be identified and send it to the recipient. Through the organization, the recipient can send a thank-you message to the donor.

Lionel Thompson, who founded the organization with his wife, Misha, said they’ve been sending out $30,000 to $50,000 a month in gifts to recipients across the country. Most gifts are in the $500 range and typically go toward issues more people are dealing with in today’s economy – such as helping someone pay the rent, medical expenses or other bills.

“We hope we’ve created a way people can give when they could not have otherwise,” Thompson said.

The Thompsons came up with the idea after experiencing generosity from their neighbors and friends following their move to Sudden Valley in 2002. Soon after they moved, a family health issue developed and those neighbors helped with money and food donations until they could get back on their feet.

While they knew those gifts were from the heart, there was the slight awkwardness about accepting help from people they knew. They believe Giving Anonymously can assist people who want to help someone else without that awkwardness.

The organization and the Thompsons recently received a bit of help themselves. Someone recently made an anonymous, unsolicited $1,000 donation to help cover the organization’s overhead costs. (The organization operates through volunteers and the Thompsons don’t take a salary for the work).

The Thompsons also received a similar donation from the donor.

While the gifts have helped keep things operating, Misha Thompson said it’s been hearing the stories of those being helped that really keep the organization going.

“The greatest thing we need to keep GA going is just for people to give anonymously to their friends and neighbors,” she said in an e-mail. “And we are so thankful to live in this beautiful community that has done just that.”

For details about the organization, visit givinganon.org.

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2269. Visit his business blog online at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or get updates on Twitter at twitter.com/BhamHeraldBiz.

Annie wrote the following on her blog Living With CML (used with permission):

“A few months ago I started noticing this organization and did some reading up on them. What a wonderful idea! Click on the picture to go to their site and see for yourself, but I am going to tell you a little bit about them anyway.

“This is an idea that I seriously wish I had thought of first – one that makes me smile every time I think of them or see their name. What do they do? You know how sometimes you want to help someone out but you know that its going to mess with your friendship or relationship or just the ease you have with each other, if you try to give them some financial help? Well, this company will send that money to them and not let on that its you that sent it. Yes…….. Giving Anonymously! And when the person gets their gift, they are given a phone number to call where they can thank you (still anonymous) and let you know that they have received your gift.

“I have read their website and the news reports and all and they sound like an incredible group of people! In a world half crazy, I think this is one of the nicest things I have read about in a very long time..

“So – click on the picture above, go and read all about it and if you know anyone that can do with a lovely surprise – go for it! And then spread the word….. let others know how they can make a difference in a lovely way and make someone else smile a bit longer.”

Thank you Annie!!

We don’t always get to hear why people give through Giving Anonymously. There have been times, however, where recipients of gifts have told us what’s going on in their lives. The following quote is from a recipient named Brett Belcastro who suffered through personal tragedy and was helped through friends and strangers giving to them through Giving Anonymously.

“During the Atlanta-area flooding in September 2009, our family’s house was flooded with 4 feet of water. We were immediately displaced from our home with no idea when we would be able to return. We found a temporary home for our dog and cat but we (including our two-year-old son) had no idea where we would stay or what we would do. Thankfully, friends of ours let us stay at their home for a week and then another friend offered his house to us while he was out of town for a month. And right around then was when the amazingly generous donations from Giving Anonymously started pouring in!! Due to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and our brief appearances on the news, people from all over the country became aware of our situation and we started receiving donations – from friends to strangers. Without this help, there is no way we would have been able to return to our home 5 weeks after the flood and rebuild our lives so quickly. No words could ever express our infinite gratitude to all of these people. It is their generosity that gave us the strength and positivity to persevere. We can only hope to pay it forward to each and every person who reached out to us during our time of need.”

Photo of Atlanta Flood by PHIL SKINNER, pskinner@ajc.com

To date Giving Anonymously (GA) has sent out just under $860,000 in gifts to 1900 individuals and families. Most of these gifts went to recipients living in the USA but some were sent to countries in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.

As we’ve facilitated generosity for others, many have given generously to GA as well. GA has been funded solely by the donations given to GA while donors process gifts to their friends and family on our site. These donations have gone to pay for the credit card processing fees and other operational costs.*

In addition to these donations others have given to GA in other ways. Big Fresh Media has donated their time and expertise to develop and build out our website. The Muljat Group generously discounts our office space rent each month. A group of students drive 35 minutes from Blaine High School each Friday to clean our office building. Lettered Streets Coffee House gives us a free supply of coffee for our volunteers and provides a place for us to have meetings. As we have no paid staff, our volunteers give of their time and energy as often as they can to make phone calls and process gifts.

As the director of GA I want to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for giving generously to others around you in need and allowing GA to facilitate your kindness to others. Thank you to all of you who give to GA while processing gifts on our site. Your generosity has helped us stay open. Thank you to all of you who have given to GA in practical and tangible ways. Your friendship, time, skills and practical expressions of generosity have meant the world to us.

Thank you!

*We are in the process of putting all of our financials and tax returns on our website. They’ll be at the bottom of our homepage under a “Financial” link.