April 21, 2026 - East Texas Giving Day kicks off at 6am on Tuesday, April 28th with 333 participating nonprofits hoping to benefit from the generosity of donors from across the region. East Texas Giving Day, powered by East Texas Communities Foundation, is an 18-hour giving event that takes place virtually at www.EastTexasGivingDay.org . Donors can participate by going online and donating $10 or more from any device that can access the internet including; desktop computers, mobile phones or tablets.
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“Great things can happen when we all work toward a common goal,” said Holly McFarlin, Public Relations Director of East Texas Communities Foundation. “Giving Day provides that magic spark needed to unite us. Every financial donation is a catalyst for good in our community.”
A pillar of ETCF’s mission is to provide simple ways for donors to achieve their charitable goals. By providing an 18-hour online fundraising event, ETCF provides the public an opportunity to donate both financially and pledge volunteer hours to a variety of nonprofits through one convenient online platform.
“One of the most attractive components of Giving Day is its convenience,” said McFarlin. “Donors can access the donation portal from any web-enabled device, including their smart phones.” Data collected in 2025 showed that more than half of all donations on the giving day platform were made on mobile devices. “This year we have opened up the options at checkout giving our donors even greater flexibility,” said McFarlin. “Donors can give using a credit card, ACH, Apple Pay or Google Pay, Venmo or PayPal.”
Many of the nonprofits have worked with community partners to provide match funds. Combined, the nonprofits have over a half million in matching funds available through the East Texas Giving Day website. Donors that give any time before midnight on April 28th, to an organization with a match, have the opportunity to double their donation when processed through the giving day website. All match amounts on the giving day website are dollar-for-dollar matches.
“Unlocking these matching funds is critical to the nonprofits,” said McFarlin. “Donors have a unique opportunity to double their impact thanks to these very generous partnerships.”
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Donors have the option of getting involved in the fundraising themselves by creating fundraising pages that benefit their favorite nonprofits. “Fundraising pages provide the public an opportunity to be an active participant in the Giving Day experience,” said McFarlin. “If you feel passionately about a local charity, this is your chance to get involved. You can create a fundraising page, tell your story about the nonprofit and share that with your friends and family either by social media, text or email.” Funds raised through donations to fundraising pages go to the charity to help fulfil their mission.
To create a fundraising page, donors can select any participating nonprofit at www.EastTexasGivingDay.org, create a donor profile and complete a few simple questions.
“Fundraising pages have proven to elevate awareness and help nonprofits reach their overall campaign goals,” said McFarlin. “Last year these pages made a huge impact on the nonprofits and gave a voice to their most loyal advocates.”
In 2025, East Texas Giving Day raised over $3.5 million for participating nonprofits. “The past two years have been very successful for our nonprofit partners,” said McFarlin. “Our hope this year is that the public steps up and gives back in a big way to help our communities. Each donation is important.”
This article is copied from Shelby County Today without permission.
Ongoing updates about the event will be posted on ETCF’s Facebook page and the giving day website
