Black Friday...Small Business Saturday...Cyber Monday...GIVING TUESDAY!
A.B.L.E. has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Occurring this year on November 28, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the US) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.
We have partnered with #ILGive and joined other nonprofits around the state for a 24-hour digital fundraising event. #ILGive will begin at at the stroke of midnight on November 28th, and ends 24 hours later at 11:59pm. This is a special day to raise awareness about our organization, while raising funds to help our program grow.
What Are You Raising Money For?
A.B.L.E. started 7 years ago. The fresh-faced teens who were in our founding ensemble are growing up and aging out of our core teen program. Rachel and Andrew have already graduated, and this season will be the last for both Emily L and Emily K. Over the next 3 years, more than half of our current actors will turn 22 and leave high school. Life after high school is challenging for many individuals with disabilities, and we want to be a part of the solution. A.B.L.E. would like to start a day program to provide a opportunities for social and creative engagement for adults over the age of 22.
On #GivingTuesday, we aim to raise $1500. These funds will launch phase 1 of this new branch of programming aimed at adults. Funding would aid the development of a 5-session workshop series hosted in the summer of 2018. Each workshop would be 3 hours, and structured around a specific theme, including puppetry, improvisation, and on-camera acting. These will serve as the foundation for building a regular weekly adult program to be launched in the fall of 2018.
How Can I Get Involved?
Make a Contribution: Every dollar makes a difference. Our top three donors will each receive a pair of tickets to our upcoming show. We can begin accepting donations on November 14th, but the big day is officially November 28th. Visit bit.ly/giveable2017 to make a donation.
Share and share alike. Online days of giving are successful because of our own networks. Email this blog post to your network and ask your friends to do the same!
Be socially (media) active. Use your social media networks: post on Facebook, tweet about #ILGive, #regram us on Instagram and share more about your passion for the theatre and supporting individuals with developmental differences. Watch our Facebook and Instagram for shareable content and help us spread the word!
Even if you can’t donate, you can get in the spirit of giving and by spreading the word and raising awareness about A.B.L.E. and the work we do. Together, we can build programming that allows people of all ages feel accepted and empowered to discover their own unique voices, and develop the confidence and skills to share who they are and what they are truly ABLE to do!
(PS: you can help us out on #CyberMonday too by selecting us as your charity on AmazonSmile or making purchases through our partnership with India Hicks!)
