Louie Traub/ViewNevada Gives president and Bank of America senior vice president Steve McCracken hopes his new charity will promote philanthropy and volunteers in the community.
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Nevada might not be known as the most giving state in the nation.
"Unfortunately, when you look at the statistics, Southern Nevada is on the top of every bad list and the bottom of every good list when it comes to philanthropy," said Stacey Wedding, treasurer and funding committee chair for NevadaGives.
However, local business leaders are working to change that. The group, which formerly was known as the Business Community Investment Council and worked to promote philanthropy in the corporate world, has evolved into NevadaGives.
The charity is working to bring attention to volunteerism and giving for everyone in the valley.
"NevadaGives is simply raising the awareness of benefits of giving," Wedding said.
The charity is giving the community a resource to easily find ways to donate money, volunteer or start their own charities.
"We're a city that's a melting pot from all over the country," said Steve McCracken, president of NevadaGives. "Many people are not sure how to get involved. It's not that people aren't interested."
The charity's main resource is its Web site, www.nevadagives.org. The site offers an event calendar, with charitable activities all over the valley. There is a giving guide with instructions on how to develop a philanthropic plan for companies and individuals. The giving guide explains who should give, who to give to and how much to give, among other information. The differences between giving directly to a charity, a community foundation and establishing a giving circle are explained. The Web site also keeps users connected to what is happening in the community with a Giving in the News section.
McCracken said the NevadaGives site is a way to keep the community connected to philanthropy.
Users can subscribe to eNews updates on the site. To talk with someone at NevadaGives, call 547-3513 or e-mail info@nevadagives.org.
Periodic networking events also will be scheduled as a way of keeping local philanthropists connected.
The all-volunteer board also is looking to expand.
"We're looking for people who bring different views," Wedding said.
NevadaGives was established as a nonprofit public charity in January.
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