Now You Can Give One Place & Benefit Over 20 Nonprofits
One of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits is how to handle in-kind donations – gifts of tangible items like office furniture or home furnishings. Even though they are useful, many nonprofits can’t accept those donations because of transportation and storage costs, as well as the logistical issues involved. Donors can get frustrated because they make calls and can’t find an organization that wants or needs their items. Desks, dressers, and more end up in a landfill unnecessarily. These challenges are now being addressed by GiveABQ, the newest community resource of Adelante that just opened in Albuquerque.
GiveABQ held a Grand Opening celebration this week at their warehouse on 1520 1st Street NW in downtown Albuquerque between Mountain and Menaul. Mayor Tim Keller and PNM Chairman, President and CEO of PNM Resources Pat Vincent-Collawn were on hand to talk about the positive impact GiveABQ can have on our city and state, by helping to address issues like homelessness and poverty in a new way. Many of the organizations who are getting involved with GiveABQ work in support of people experiencing homelessness. These case managers are happy to have a resource where they can get furniture items for their clients, in addition to office furniture for their nonprofits and even durable medical equipment, if needed.
The initial funding for GiveABQ was provided by the PNM Resources Foundation, and the grand opening is culmination of the $100,000 PNM New Century of Service grant that made the program possible.
How Does GiveABQ Work?
GiveABQ offers efficient, centralized collection and distribution of donated items for over 20 nonprofits already and many more are signing up each week. GiveABQ is working to maximize the nonprofit resources in our community so it can be focused on mission-based work, rather than the purchase of capital items. Jerome Rael, the warehouse manager at GiveABQ, says, “Our goal is to work together so that nonprofits get the items they need, like desks or even home furnishings, so they can use their resources to increase the impact of their missions. GiveABQ is helping to foster collaboration between nonprofits, increase efficiencies, and sharing resources like a truck and drivers to make handling donations easier.”
GiveABQ offers efficient, centralized collection and distribution of donated items for over 20 nonprofits already and many more are signing up each week. GiveABQ is working to maximize the nonprofit resources in our community so it can be focused on mission-based work, rather than the purchase of capital items. Jerome Rael, the warehouse manager at GiveABQ, says, “Our goal is to work together so that nonprofits get the items they need, like desks or even home furnishings, so they can use their resources to increase the impact of their missions. GiveABQ is helping to foster collaboration between nonprofits, increase efficiencies, and sharing resources like a truck and drivers to make handling donations easier.”
Items donated to GiveABQ can be dropped off at the 1st Street warehouse. Donors can also arrange at pick up on www.GiveABQ.org. Once at the location, items are logged into the GiveABQ website where participating nonprofits can shop for them online using a virtual currency called GiveCoinTM. GiveCoinTM is a concept developed by Adelante to keep the distribution of items equitable to all the nonprofits taking part in GiveABQ. Each nonprofit that enrolls gets a free fund of GiveCoinTM to start shopping for items they need. Organizations can earn more GiveCoinTM by sending volunteers to GiveABQ or donating funding or items to GiveABQ to keep the operation sustainable and stocked. Nonprofits can also come to the warehouse to look at what is available and shop in person for office or household goods. Items are only available to nonprofits that have become participating organizations of GiveABQ. The program is open to 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 nonprofits across New Mexico and organizations can enroll on www.GiveABQ.org .
Already over 20 nonprofits are enrolled in GiveABQ. For example, Casa Esperanza received framed prints, mirrors, lamps and more which they used to redecorate after a recent fire. Chrisann Gray, executive director of Casa Esperanza said, “GiveABQ has already been a wonderful benefit to Casa Esperanza and will be a great resource to all local nonprofits.”
“Give. Re-use. Impact.” is the tagline at GiveABQ, which sums up the program’s work and operational goals. People can give items or funding, or volunteer their time to benefit the entire nonprofit community in one place. GiveABQ believes the best kind of recycling is re-use, which keeps useful items out of the landfill and supports the need for capital items that nonprofits need. Finally, GiveABQ is meant to have a positive impact on local nonprofits and strengthen the entire community by maximizing the work and mission of every nonprofit taking part in GiveABQ.
GiveABQ is a community resource of Adelante Development Center, a locally-founded nonprofit that supports people with disabilities, seniors, and disadvantaged populations. Adelante CEO, Mike Kivitz explained, “Adelante wanted to do something big that would impact the entire nonprofit community as we celebrated our 40th year as an organization. When Mayor Tim Keller asked people to step up to help what troubles our city, I knew that Adelante could play a role above and beyond our mission due to our experience operating a nonprofit and the connections we have formed over the years. I have read that each individual and each organization can shine a light on one corner of the world to make things better. GiveABQ is the way Adelante is shining a light on the troubles of our city and making an effort to improve our world.” Kivitz also coined the term Mission LeveragingTM to describe the new level of collaboration that Adelante is applying to GiveABQ. Mission LeveragingTM is bringing nonprofits together that would not typically work alongside each other, to find common threads that produce efficiency and financial savings to the larger community.
Adelante launched GiveABQ with generous seed funding from the PNM Fund and additional financial support from Hart Construction, New Mexico Technology Assistance Program, Poms & Associates, United Way of Central New Mexico, and Bank of the West. Donations are encouraged from the public to keep GiveABQ sustainable. Financial contributions can be given securely online and pickups of donated items can also be arranged through the program’s website, www.GiveABQ.org or by calling (505)341-GIVE (4483).
