Gang Alternative, Inc. exists to save lives, according to its slogan. The nonprofit organization, headquartered on Biscayne Boulevard, provides almost everything – from mental health support and parent education to job training and placement – in order to give Miami youth options to a gang mindset and lifestyle.
But it cannot provide snacks.
(Courtesy Gang Alternative, Inc. )
Gang Alternative staff provide parent education and after school programs to help strengthen families.
On Nov. 21, Gang Alternative, which offers K-12 afterschool programs, ex-offender reentry services, in-home therapy, and parent education, among other services, will be among the 1,000-plus nonprofits participating in Give Miami Day, and it will use a portion of the funds raised to provide food and beverages to the many clients it serves. For Gang Alternative and other nonprofits, Give Miami Day remains critical because the funds raised during Miami’s largest 24 hours of giving are unrestricted and can be applied where the needs are greatest.
“While Gang Alternative secures local, state, and federal funding for many programmatic areas, some of the most critical needs, such as providing food, meals, childcare, and shelter, often go unfunded by grants,” said Michael Nozile, president and CEO of Gang Alternative. “Similarly, in our afterschool programs, for many children, the light snacks provided by the organization are often the only meal they will get that evening.”
For 12 years, the people of Miami have shown their overwhelming generosity on Give Miami Day, a 24-hour event dedicated to giving to hyper-local nonprofit organizations. In a little over a decade, the number of Miamians who participate has grown from 3,600 to 46,000, and the Day’s charitable donations have increased from $1.2 million to more than $34 million.
Last year, Gang Alternative, raised $56,000 on Give Miami Day, and this year, with increasing economic pressures, due to rising costs of living, housing, and food insecurity, the organization is hoping to secure even more donations to continue serving these vital needs.
“We are asking for community support to continue providing these essential programs and services, especially in areas where traditional funding sources do not reach,” Nozile said.
(Courtesy WOPHA)
Guests gather at a "Photobook as Object" workshop with the Women Photographers International Archive, whose mission is to highlight the contributions of women photographers to modern and contemporary art in order to rewrite the artistic canon and provoke social change.
Event host, The Miami Foundation, is planning for Miamians to meet the moment again.
“Give Miami Day serves as a testament to the boundless generosity that resides within Miami’s residents,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation. “It is a day where everyone comes together across all lines of difference to strengthen Miami together. When you give in 2024, each dollar you contribute is a testament to organizations that are tirelessly working towards creating a better future.”
It is often an uphill battle for nonprofits to sustain themselves in Miami. More than half of local nonprofits operate with budgets of less than $250,000, and more than 75% of their budgets are limited to project-specific spending. On average, nonprofits have six months or less in cash reserves, and 40% do not have staff explicitly able to focus on fundraising, according to Miami Foundation data.
Gang Alternative is just one nonprofit in the Biscayne Boulevard corridor. Others include school PTAs at Miami Shores Elementary, Miami Shores Presbyterian, Doctors Charter, and organizations like the Women’s Photography International Archives, Friends of Biscayne Bay, and more. Arts organizations, including Actors’ Playhouse, Area Stage, City Theatre, Florida Grand Opera, GableStage, Miami City Ballet, Miami New Drama, New World Symphony, and Zoetic Stage also participate in order to secure funds for future programming. But see for yourself – GiveMiamiDay.org allows you to search topics, locations, or organizations so you can create a giving plan.
As the biggest fundraiser of the year for hundreds of nonprofits, Give Miami Day has helped make the vital work of more than 1,000 local nonprofits possible for the past 12 years. With nonprofits receiving 100% of donations as flexible dollars, this day enables them to have the resources necessary to nimbly respond and meet the needs of the greater Miami community.
Early Giving begins Nov. 17. When the clock strikes midnight on Thursday, Nov. 21, the 24-hour giving celebration officially launches, and donors can go online to select the nonprofit or issue they want to support. The minimum donation is $25.
Fishman Lipsey emphasized how donations to nonprofits have a greater reach beyond that particular organization.
“From educational programs transforming the lives of youth to environmental initiatives safeguarding and protecting this beautiful place we call home, the collective impact reverberates across Miami.”
To learn more, visit GiveMiamiDay.org.