Letters to the Editor | December 23rd, 2019
To the editor:
The holiday season is one of the very best times of the year to energize your spirit of generosity, thanksgiving and giving back. For the countless nonprofits serving our community, it is also a critical time of year for their financial stability.
The phrase “any amount will help” is certainly used a great deal throughout the year, but when it comes to gifts during the holiday season, it is so unbelievably true.
According to a new study from the Lilly School of Philanthropy, since 2000 there has been a 13 percent reduction in the number of individuals giving nationwide. That’s 20 million fewer individuals who give to nonprofits. And as blessed as we are in this region with generous and wonderful giving people, this collapse of small and medium-sized donors is a worry that organizations of all sizes have.
However, I’ve seen the resilience of this community and organizations that have amazing effect in this region. I know that when there are needs, we step up to help. This year, please consider giving to the deserving and hardworking groups that make up our incredible nonprofit community.
I’m sure your mailbox has been inundated with letters from organizations of all sizes and various causes. And though the needs may be great, your ability to help lessen the burden of those groups is even greater.
These nonprofits are doing work the government can’t, won’t or shouldn’t do – and it is up to us, the community at large, to help them.
That $10 donation, or two hours spent volunteering means a ton. Nonprofits appreciate your gifts, regardless of size, as your enthusiasm towards the cause is valued nearly as much as your financial contribution.
Your generosity to a nonprofit means that their message is being heard or that their cause is resonating with the public. And they are so excited to build relationships with every one of you.
Give generously! Give a gift of any size! Give without restrictions!
And give because it makes you feel awesome helping this wonderful community and those the nonprofits serve!
Patrick Kirby, Fargo
[Editor’s note: Patrick Kirby is the author of Fundraise Awesomer! A Practical Guide to Staying Sane While Doing Good, and the Founder of Do Good Better Consulting in West Fargo.]
December 18th 2025
August 19th 2025
June 19th 2025
June 2nd 2025
May 15th 2025
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
By Bryce HaugenNot everyone detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is an undocumented immigrant. After a Jan. 12 scuffle at a local Walmart, Tim Catlett, a resident of St. Cloud, Minn., was held at the Bishop…
By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
By John Strand If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other. It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Greg Carlson Writer-director Naomi Jaye adapts fellow Canadian Martha Baillie’s 2009 novel “The Incident Report” as a potent and introspective character study. Retitled “Darkest Miriam,” Jaye’s movie stars Britt…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…