North Texas Giving Day Crucial for Some Nonprofits in Pandemic’s Wake

In a Dallas warehouse among rows of tables, stacks of chairs and shelves packed with décor, Dwell with Dignity begins turning a house into a home.

“The process of putting together a home is really fast and furious. It's like Extreme Home Makeover,” said Executive Director Ashley Sharp.

Twice each month, staff and volunteers work together to design, create and install a new space for a family escaping poverty and homelessness.

"What we have found is that we can make a house into a home for a family, they're likely to thrive and set a wonderful foundation for themselves and their children,” said Sharp.

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A lot of what they use to transform a space for a family is donated. But some things, like a fridge filled with food, rely on monetary donations.

Some of those come from the organization’s annual Thrift Studio Sale, which runs until Saturday, but many come through campaigns like North Texas Giving Day.

"North Texas Giving Day is probably our favorite part of the year here,” said Sharp.

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This year, Senior Vice President of Community Foundation of Texas and Chief Giving Officer Monica Egert Smith said donations are needed.

Noelle LeVeaux with the Communities Foundation of Texas joins NBC 5 on the start of North Texas Giving Day, the area’s largest fundraising event which involves thousands of nonprofits.

More than 3,300 nonprofits are signed up to participate, and she said many have struggled over the last 18 months.

"So many of them have seen a huge increase in demand for their services related to the pandemic. Some have had to cancel fundraising,” said Egert Smith.

Thanks to budget cuts, they’ve also missed out on larger corporate gifts according to Sharp.

So, like many, this year Dwell with Dignity will rely on individual donations to continue serving families in the year to come.

"We believe that there's really a ripple effect in the community. So when you're serving one family, what you're really doing is giving hope to the entire community that they interact with,” said Sharp.

North Texas Giving Day runs all day Thursday.

Last year, it raised nearly $60 million.

Click here to search for a participating organization.