PHOENIX - Marylandian -- When headlines report the horrors of raging wildfires or the devastation left in the wake of a hurricane, or record heat and drought lead to lives lost and water supplies threatened, the idea of an average individual playing any role in the climate crisis seems out of reach. Yet everything worth doing starts with the first step. The nonprofit organization Earth Gives today announced the launch of Earth Gives Day set for October 7, 2021 - the first nationwide giving day dedicated to catalyzing environmental philanthropy to put that first step within reach for many.

EarthGives.org provides a "one stop" shopping opportunity for individual donors to invest in mission-driven groups doing critical work. Giving days are time constrained efforts to rally donors to visit one specific website to support one or many organizations. Earth Gives Day is the first national, single issue day bringing focus to the least funded yet most consequential issue of our time – the environment and the climate crisis.

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"We want to open the door and welcome people who might feel a bit overwhelmed by the massive scale of the climate problem," said Rhonda Bannard, founder and executive director of Earth Gives, the 501c3 organization based in Arizona. "EarthGives.org serves as a way to build a community of caring people who are not only looking out for the environment and their impact on it, but also for one another and future generations."

The proven platform of a giving day has raised millions for the nonprofit sector. Earth Gives Day is showcasing a small, yet diverse group of nonprofits - from land conservancy, STEM education, renewable initiatives, environmental stewardship through the legal system, and work that inspires volunteer engagement like tree plantings. The organizations include those from New York to Washington, Wisconsin to Oregon and are large and small. The giving day process is "gamified" with a prize fund to inspire a bit of friendly competition to allow those participating to win additional dollars for bringing in the most donors, or those generating the most dollars.

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Any donations collected during the early giving period currently underway and through October 7^th will count toward the organization's potential to win prize dollars. While this startup year prize fund is modest and made possible by every day generous individuals giving from $200 to $2,000, larger giving days in the country rallied citizens to contribute nearly $60M with a $1.5M prize fund.

Tools on Earthgives.org allow nonprofits to invite board members, volunteers, and other supporters to help. Individuals can set up their own personal fundraising page with a specific fundraising goal to support an organization of their choosing.