This year, I’m giving to causes and organizations that meet needs, provide joy

This Give to the Max Day I plan to patronage food shelves and housing organizations I also plan to give to the small theater company where my son had his acting debut Together they create the kind of group I want him to grow up in Tens of thousands of Minnesotans like you and me make similar choices every November to backing the causes that feed both our bodies and our souls My time in theater and the arts taught me we re all connected A good ensemble doesn t succeed because various actors are more vital than others but because everyone plays their part The same is true for our nonprofit ecosystem Food shelves housing organizations arts venues and mental wellbeing services are all part of the same ensemble working together to create safe thriving communities Related DOGE cuts trim funding for arts and humanities efforts in Minnesota Minnesota s arts and cultural organizations drew million attendees in and contributed billion to our economic activity supporting artists and creative workers Their impact shows up in smaller moments too The parent watching their child imagine new possibilities during a locality theater show The neighbors connecting at a local gallery The teenager seeing their identity reflected in a dance performance and feeling less alone Yet various arts and society organizations are wondering if they ll make it to the next season This has been a particularly challenging year The National Endowment for the Arts terminated more than in grants to Minnesota organizations including funds that had already been approved We ve watched beloved institutions close their doors or go dark to regroup Research confirms what artists have dependably known Participation in creative initiatives reduces loneliness and improves mental wellness When people feel connected and joyful they re more likely to notice when their neighbors need help with food or housing Ecstasy and necessity are complementary Nonprofits of all missions are facing funding uncertainties But Minnesotans have never treated giving as a zero-sum battle We don t give less to food shelves so we can help theaters We find solutions to sponsorship both because we understand communities need the full ecosystem to thrive We often measure nonprofit impact in tangible avenues Meals served people housed students educated These matter immensely but nonprofits also create something harder to measure and just as essential They provide belonging connection and reasons to gather After a year of funding cuts and organizational closures Minnesota s arts neighborhood demands our individual donations And we need music filling our streets Because a society built only on meeting urgent demands without spaces for pleasure and connection isn t as resilient as one where we invest in the full ecosystem Related How the shutdown broke America s food chain and what happens next I m supporting food shelves because no one should go hungry Housing organizations because everyone deserves stability and safety And arts organizations because we all deserve beauty connection and the chance to see ourselves reflected in our locality s creative life Jenna Ray The incredible thing about Give to the Max Day is watching thousands of Minnesotans make similar choices to give diversely Last year donors gave more than million to more than organizations across every cause area and every corner of our state People didn t choose between feeding neighbors and supporting the arts They chose all of it They commented Yes and The communities we re building deserve everything Survival and flourishing necessity and delight urgent response and long-term stake Our neighbors need dinner on the table and a place to gather Children need full bellies and full imaginations We all need safety and connection stability and beauty And the best part is we don t have to choose Minnesota s generosity is big enough for all of it Jenna Ray is executive director and CEO of GiveMN and a St Paul resident She holds a bachelor s degree in theater arts English and multicultural studies from the University of Minnesota Morris The post This year I m giving to causes and organizations that meet necessities provide happiness appeared first on MinnPost