Austin is no doubt a caring community. But we don't act on our values by giving more to charitable organizations. National studies consistently find that Austinites give far less to charitable causes than people in other cities. In fact, Austin is ranked 48th out of the 50 largest cities in the nation in per capita giving.

 

The mission of the I Live Here, I Give Here campaign is to change that.

 

A recent local study showed an overwhelming majority of Central Texans believe financial support of nonprofits is key to maintaining a strong, vibrant community. Austinites also think an important measure of community success is how well it takes care of those who are at risk of falling between the cracks.

 

Yet, many Austin nonprofits are struggling to provide the programs and services to meet the needs.

 

In the same study, Central Texans said they would give more if they better understood the community's needs.

So, the I Live Here, I Give Here Campaign is on a mission to boost local giving by educating fellow Austinites about the needs in Central Texas and the organizations working to meet those needs..

 

Our promise is to raise awareness. We hope you'll promise to raise your level of giving.

 

Whether reading the Sunday paper or cheering on your favorite team, the I Live Here, I Give Here campaign will be with you. Thanks to a handful of generous donors, we are educating people on the radio, in print and on the web to raise awareness. Visitors of www.ILiveHereIGiveHere.org, like you, will learn about needs in Central Texas and the value of giving.

 

We not only want to raise the level of giving in Austin, we want people to be smart about ways they can make their donations have the most impact. In partnership with Wachovia Bank, the I Live Here, I Give Here campaign has links to information and training sessions available for donors seeking a deeper understanding of current best practices in philanthropy.