Giving Tuesday in Palmer, for Palmer’s sake

PALMER— Turkey Red, a downtown Palmer restaurant, sold food and drinks like they normally would on Nov. 27. But this particular Tuesday was different because it was Giving Tuesday and every drink they sold was matched to the dollar amount and donated to the Palmer Community Foundation.

“This is just another chance to give back to the community,” Turkey Red owner Alex Papasavas said.

A New York-based nonprofit organization, Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, created Giving Tuesday seven years ago and it became a worldwide phenomenon. Each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday participants are encouraged to seek out a cause to support and donate their time and, or, money. The social media hashtag #GivingTuesday helped this simple yet broad day of giving spread across the globe, according to the official Giving Tuesday website.

Jen Burkmire, Program Manager for Palmer Community Foundation, said that Giving Tuesday is an effective way to get people into the charitable mindset for the incoming holidays season.

“It’s a good reminder for folks,” Burkmire said.

Papasavas said that she set out to raise $500 to $1,000 off beverage purchases and was confident she would make her goal.

“We are just so happy they were willing to do that with us,” Burkmire said.

Papasavas said that backing the PCF was an easy decision because throughout the year she regularly supports non-profits, school sports programs, and anything that involves education, especially when it helps what she likes to call “innocents,” referring to children and animals, wild or domestic.

“They’re the most vulnerable I guess. And, I believe better education. Better education makes our community stronger,” Papasavas said.

The PCF launched nine months ago, and this was the first chance for the new, philanthropic organization to take part in Giving Tuesday. Burkmire said that she anticipates the PCF’s participation each year as one of the many ways to raise $100,000 by the end of 2020.

The PCF is the 10th and newest affiliate of the parent organization, Alaska Community Foundation. These foundations are designed to pool donations into an endowment fund and award grants to charities non-profit organizations specifically focused on their respective areas and the long term needs.

“We’re building a legacy, a legacy endowment for Palmer. Rather than charitable giving, it’s philanthropic giving. It’s for the long haul,” Burkmire said.

Aside from the $100,000 overall goal, the PCF sets annual goals for allocating funds, according to Burkmire. She said that the 2018 goal is $27,600 and needs to be met by Dec. 31.

“We’re getting close but we need help,” Burkmire said.

PCF has an arrangement. If it manages to reach, or even exceed, the $100,000 goal by the deadline, then the ACF, which is partnered with the Rasmussen Foundation, will match every dollar.

And that help will extend to the Palmer community, Burkmire said, and it will be up to the company to determine how the funds are used.

“It can be trails, it can be art, it can be health and social services, it can be education. There’s a number of things that can be done with it,” Burkmire said.

Papasavas said that she liked the long-term endowment model and it matched her values and vision for a more sustainable Palmer for future generations. She said that she plans on working with the PCF again in the future.

“I think they’re thinking more about the future,” Papasavas said. “I think we both agree on how important education is and economic prosperity.”

Although the main focus of the PCF is to invest long-term, they also strive to make immediate contributions to Palmer based non-profits. At the inaugural launch party back in February, the PCF awarded two grants, $2,400 to the Palmer Soccer Club and $2,600 to the Palmer Food Bank. Burkmire said that as the earnings in endowment grows, so will annual grant giveaways.

“I love that people in Palmer are really connected to each other and they really love their community. They do things to take care of each other and they do things to take care of their community,” Burkmire said.

Burkmire noted that they are still looking for two more advisory board members, wanting “community minded people that love Palmer.”

“They really need to love Palmer,” Burkmire said.

For more information about the PCF, see palmercf.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com