Thank You for Giving

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, and I've been reflecting on the word “giving.” 

We give to things we care about. Think about where you spend your time and your energy, both limited resources. I suspect most of us dedicate ourselves to family, like our children or spouse (or for me, my aging mom), and others we care about deeply. Often we are devoted to our work, not because it's a paycheck, but because we care about what we do, the people we serve, or the mission we've embraced through our careers.

I see evidence of how the 4-H community cares about our organization. It's revealed in the club leader who stretches himself to make every meeting special; the horse leaders who step forward to build a stronger county program; or the faithful team that has purchased and prepared food at camp for 15 years. We give our time and energy because we believe in 4-H and the good things it builds in kids, in adults, and in our community. We give because we care.

While I'm grateful for the time and energy so many give to our organization, I want to thank a very important group of givers: the parents, volunteers, alumni and staff who support our work financially.

You see, while our 4-H Program is funded chiefly through the University of California and County Board of Supervisors, many people don't know that our local programs require additional revenue. Those funds, overseen by our finance committee, pay for club awards, youth attendance at leadership conferences, volunteer training, programs like Achievement Night and Presentation Day, even the copy machine our leaders use. 4-H programs in other counties conduct fundraisers or increase registration fees to generate dollars for their local program, but in Sacramento we simply ask those who believe in our mission to make a gift. We ask them to give; because they care, they do.

There are three ways you can easily give a gift to Sacramento 4-H:

• Giving Tuesday is a 24-hour giving opportunity on November 28, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The California 4-H Foundation will match gifts dollar for dollar up to $20,000, so donate early to double your gift! It's easy to make a give...just click here. Be sure to specify Sacramento County, and every penny will come directly to our 4-H Council.

• The United Way and State Employees Giving campaigns allow one-time gifts or payroll deductions through the work place. Simply write Sacramento County 4-H on your form and include our agency number (4155).

• The Big Day of Giving on Thursday, May 3, is a region-wide, on-line giving campaign which features Sacramento County 4-H. You can check out our profile at https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/4HSacramento. More information to come.

Through your generosity, last year Sacramento County 4-H received $11,500 through these efforts. That's the majority of our council budget.

I hope you will join me in making a donation on Giving Tuesday. Thank you for showing you care about 4-H and our kids in so many ways. For all you give, we are grateful.