Richmond SPCA, local charities gear up for Giving Tuesday

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Many of you have shopped the deals this weekend in stores and online. But this Tuesday, local charities are hoping you will be thinking of them.

“Your giving is incredibly important and Giving Tuesday is an important piece of the puzzle,” said Carol Anne Lajoie, director of development at Richmond SPCA.

Lajoie said the SPCA raises about a third of its donations during November and December. This year, the end-of-year funding is more important than ever.

“All of our fundraising it comes from a variety of places. One of the places that’s the hardest hit, in terms of the pandemic, has been event revenue,” Lajoie said. “Most nonprofits have a diverse stream of ways of bringing in money, and if you’re doing anything that involves people gathering and coming together in person, we’ve all had to reevaluate those strategies.”

The Richmond SPCA, just like many other nonprofits, had to cancel or turn events virtual. The two alternatives generally don’t raise as much money.

“An event that we normally get like $200,000 — that goes to general operation, helping us rescue pets and save lives — we’re now planning for an event that we are hoping $40,000,” she said.

For Giving Tuesday, the Richmond SPCA says money raised will go toward an important part of their operation: the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital.

“[The hospital] provides low-cost veterinary care for anybody who adopts from the SPCA or anybody who income qualifies,” Lajoie said.

If you want to donate, you can click here.

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