Join Us for #25DaysOfGiving

When the holiday season rolls around, friends, family, and even strangers come together to battle the chill of winter with a spirit of giving and generosity. This year, Communities In Schools of Durham (CIS Durham) will transform how the Durham community thinks, talks about, and participates in the giving season by celebrating #GivingTuesday on December 2. The Durham affiliate of the nation’s leading dropout prevention network will make the global day of giving the anchor to its #25DaysOfGiving social media campaign, an awareness-raising campaign highlighting the impact community members make on Durham Public Schools through their support of CIS Durham.

Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday is a global movement that aims to inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities and give back in better, smarter ways to the causes they support. #GivingTuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a day dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with holiday shopping. CIS Durham will join other nonprofits in the community to make this day a hallmark of the holiday season in Durham. And to go the extra mile, CIS Durham will continue spreading the message behind #GivingTuesday through December 26, sharing on social media all the ways community members can change the picture for Durham’s youth with the hashtag #25DayOfGiving.

“Community members who invest in the causes they believe in during the holiday season embody what the spirit of giving is all about,” says Beverly Hardin, executive director of CIS Durham. “It's about creating hope. It's about making strategic investments that lift people up, especially during this time of year when our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gifts we've all been given: family, abundance, and joy.”

This school year, CIS Durham expanded its reach to touch the lives of 6,000 students and their families in schools across the county. Of the students receiving our individualized services in the 2013-14 school year, 90 percent of eligible seniors graduated, and 80 percent of students were promoted to the next grade level.

For every $1 received, CIS Durham produces an $11.60 economic return to the community. Support from community members can introduce a first-generation college student to a university campus, supply students with STEM experiential learning kits, or provide a year-long literacy curriculum for those reading below grade level. Though #25DaysOfGiving, CIS Durham will show the community how to make impactful local change by sharing exactly how their support benefits Durham’s youth, our future.

“Our donors are an integral part of what we do,” Beverly says. “Because of their investments, we are able to serve more students, at earlier points in their lives, to build essential skills and create paths for their success. These gifts also ensure our staff members are highly trained and skilled so that we deliver the highest quality programs.”

To join CIS Durham in its mission of shifting the conversation around the giving season and changing the picture for thousands of local students, follow us on Twitter at @CISDurham and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cisdurham. Starting on #GivingTuesday, December 2, CIS Durham will share stories from students and families it serves on our blog.