November 21, 2023 IN: Our Voices, Staff Blog
A Time for Giving Thanks and Giving Back
By Jenna McDavid
Even though the sky gets darker earlier, the temperatures get (much) cooler, and the trees start looking spindly and sad, November is really one of my favorite months of the year. Here in western New York state, we consider this the beginning of nesting season: when it gets too snowy and cold to do many outdoor activities (or leave the house at all, really), our thoughts turn to making big vats of soup, reading all the books we’ve neglected over the sunnier months, and drinking endless pots of tea to keep warm.
Jenna (left) and her partner, Carly, enjoying some snowy November hiking in 2022 (photo courtesy of Jenna McDavid)
While things are winding down in the outside world, November is a moment when we at SEARAC channel a ton of energy into our annual end-of-year fundraiser. Nonprofit organizations like ours receive as much as 50% of our donations for the entire year during the months of November and December, according to Donorbox. From now until the end of the year, our team (and our extended SEARAC family, like former interns and alumni of our Leadership and Advocacy Training Program) will be hard at work fundraising for SEARAC’s groundbreaking policy advocacy and leadership development work.
The effort we put into our end-of-year campaign will have a lasting impact on the movement we’re building together. We invite you to join us in growing Southeast Asian American community power by becoming a fundraiser or making a donation at bit.ly/supportsearac2023. All month long, you’ll hear stories from SEARAC staff, board members, and others in our network about how SEARAC’s work has impacted them – and their hopes for the future of the Southeast Asian American community. We know that you’ll be moved by their dedication and motivated to join us in this movement.
This season reminds me to be thankful for my dedicated colleagues, the incredible community leaders who have been fighting for and building community power for half a century, and for the individuals who have contributed – any amount! – over the years to keep this movement going strong.
Jenna is SEARAC’s Director of Development. You can email her here.
