Annual holiday philanthropic efforts rise in North Carolina

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Ahead of Giving Tuesday, the annual global philanthropic Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said overall giving in North Carolina is up $21 million to more than $48.1 million for licensed fundraisers for charities.

Charities netted more than $35.8 million of the overall giving for their programs, Marshall said in a release about the annual Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division Annual Report. That’s a $19.4 million increase from 2023-24, and a 14% increase in percentage to charities programs.

“Despite the effects of rising cost of living concerns and other economic challenges, North Carolinians responded to growing needs with generosity and focused on making wise choices with their charitable donations, creating impressive growth in overall giving and in the percentage being netted by charities,” Marshall said. “We’ve seen an incredible response to relief efforts in our western counties following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. I always encourage North Carolina’s giving public to use our Annual Report and Charitable Solicitation registry to research nonprofits as they make decisions with their charitable donations this holiday season and all year.”

Marshall, first woman elected to statewide office, is in her eighth consecutive term. She said the report’s fluctuation is also due in part to “groups involved in economic development and civic issues” that may not “fit into the traditional connotation of ‘charity’ typically associated with this report” now subject to the same reporting requirements.

For example, more than $10.8 million in gross receipts of giving were from campaigns conducted by four economic development organizations.

Shopping season has expanded way before Thanksgiving for decades. Still, Black Friday is historically the busiest shopping day in America; local chambers of commerce emphasize Shop Local Saturday the following day to buoy mom-and-pop shops against big box retailers; and Cyber Monday has become the digital day.

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Alan Wooten has been a publisher, general manager and editor. His work has won national or state awards in every decade since the 1980s. He’s a proud graduate of Elon University and Farmville Central High in North Carolina.