The generous spirit of Long Island will be “illuminated” this Friday during the virtual fundraising event dubbed “One Island Giving Day.” To celebrate, Suffolk County has lighted its H. Lee Dennison Building in blue during a ceremony yesterday afternoon to mark the single day, online fundraiser to benefit local nonprofit organizations that support the people who live, work and study in our communities.
This is the second annual “One Island Giving Day” and is a legacy of the Amy and Horace Hagedorn Foundation that supported numerous Long Island nonprofits until it closed last year. In 2017, the effort raised over $325,000 to benefit more than 100 nonprofits that serve Nassau and Suffolk residents, with “One Island Giving Day” offering local nonprofits the unique opportunity to be supported by their neighbors across Long Island. This year, organizers hope to raise $1 million for the almost 100 registered local nonprofit organizations that assist fellow Long Islanders. The virtual event will be hosted at oneislandgiving.org and donations can be made now through October 26th.
Tonight’s event was made possible through the bipartisan support of Suffolk County Legislators Kara Hahn, Leslie Kennedy and Susan Berland who sponsored legislation last month to mark One Island Giving Day and illuminate the H. Lee Dennison Building to remind all county residents to support this initiative.
"Long Island has a rich and vibrant nonprofit community that supports so many of the families, children, and communities who live and work here”, said One Island Giving Day Campaign Director, Cindy Morris. “This concept of bringing together one day in which we drive Long Islanders to support these organizations is so important, as we work together to make our communities safer, stronger and more diverse. I am thrilled to be involved in this project."
OIGD, founded by the Hagedorn Foundation, is a branded program that supports Long Island nonprofits long into the future. “One Island Giving Day was Hagedorn Foundation’s final parting gift to the Long Island Not-For-Profit at the point of the Foundation’s planned spend-down in 2017,” said Hagedorn Foundation President, Lisa Valentine. “It was my mother, Amy Maiello Hagedorn’s wish that the community band together to keep Long Island’s vital programs alive and thriving in her absence. She had begun the seeds of the process for One Island Giving Day during what would turn out to be the last year of her life. What a legacy she left us in One Island Giving Day!”
Money raised benefits nonprofits working in areas of need, including arts and culture, education, immigration, environment, children and families, healthcare, LGBT, civic engagement, and many others. Donors visiting oneislandgiving.org can search by topics to make a tax-deductible donation to the causes that matter most to them. For those looking to make a more general donation, a “Love Them All” option is also available. All money raised will be spent locally on Long Island.
“Our nonprofits fall into all issue areas. You can visit oneislandgiving.org and support the nonprofit of your choice,” says Steering Committee member, Devon Giordano. “We hope Long Islanders will make a donation and directly help the communities around them.”
The campaign is created by the Hagedorn Foundation in partnership with area nonprofits. For a complete list of One Island Giving Day’s participating nonprofits and sponsors please visit oneislandgiving.org.
To donate to One Island Giving Day, please go to oneislandgiving.org now through October 26th. All of the nonprofits involved do all or a significant portion of their work on Long Island.
