After Turkey Thursday, It’s Giving Tuesday. Lend a Hand Locally.

Thursday’s Thanksgiving meal was just the beginning of marketing pitches to spend your money.

There’s Black Friday, which starts in some places right after the turkey. Small Businesses Saturday hopes to spread the love to your mom and pop store.

Cyber Monday wants to give you a deal if you missed the previous three days.

And, then there’s Giving Tuesday.

Founded in 2012, Giving Tuesday reminds people that there are money worthy organizations to donate to. Many Fresno and Clovis groups are asking for your philanthropy. Here is a small sample:

Clovis Botanical Garden

The Clovis Botanical Garden, located in Dry Creek Park in Clovis (Clovis and Alluvial avenues), is a 3-acre “water-wise demonstration garden to promote water conservation in the California Central Valley landscape through excellent gardens using drought-tolerant plants, exhibits, and programs that educate the public,” board member Andrea Reed said.

The garden is open five days a week and free to the public. They also are many programs for kids for a small charge.

“Donations are critical to our existence as it is sustained by the community through memberships, donations, grants and maintained by dedicated volunteers,” Redd said.

This is the second year that the garden is participating in Giving Tuesday. Donations are used to continue the garden’s development and maintenance.

To donate, visit the website or mail to:

Clovis Botanical Garden

1865 Herndon Ave, Suite K, Box 330

Clovis, CA  93611

Clovis Botanical Garden is part of the 2018 Giving Tuesday campaign. (GV Wire File Photo)

Infant of Prague

November is National Adoption Month and Central California Adoption Services — Infant of Prague is hoping you think of them on Giving Tuesday.

“We counsel women facing unintended pregnancy in all of their options, so they can choose a path that allows them to move forward with confidence. We also prepare families to welcome children to their families through adoption,” executive director Sylvia Coyle said.

This is the first time Infant of Prague is participating in Giving Tuesday.

“Donations on Giving Tuesday will help us to implement additional counseling and therapy programs as well as continue outreach to women who may benefit from our counseling services. A donation to our agency is a donation to benefit the health and well being of our families and community,” Coyle said.

To donate, visit their website or mail to:

2350 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 142

Fresno, CA  93711

Infant of Prague is a full service, nonprofit, secular, licensed adoption agency. (Photo/Infant of Prague Central California Website)

Valley Caregiver Resource Center

Who will take care of us when we get older? In Fresno, the Valley Caregiver Resource Center knows where to find the answers.

In Fresno for 30 years, VCRC provides services and programs for seniors and their families.

“There are thousands of our families, friends, and neighbors who do need help. We are all tasked with being the voice of this population that often cannot advocate for itself,” executive director Michelle DiBuduo said.

This is VCRC’s second year participating in Giving Tuesday.

“We believe it will be a valuable tool in educating our community on the needs of our seniors and family caregivers,” DiBuduo said. “Our goal is to reduce the fear, isolation, and neglect our seniors experience at so many various levels.  In order to do this, we want to continue raising more funds to put back into improving the lives of our seniors so they can experience a quality of life in their later years.”

To donate, visit their website or call 559-224-9154.

Maddy Institute

Where are the leaders of tomorrow supposed to learn?

The Maddy Institute at Fresno State’s goal is to improve civil discourse and provoke spiriting public policy decisions based on facts.

The institute does so by providing internships with local representatives in Sacramento and Washington, hosting weekly media programs that air locally on ABC30 and KMJ radio, and holding events with the state’s political movers and shakers.

Judge Lawrence O’Neill (left) speaks with Maddy Institute’s Mark Keppler at a luncheon on Oct. 5, 2018. (GV Wire Photo/David Taub)

Earlier this month, for example, Bureau of Cannabis Control director Lori Ajax talked about regulating cannabis in the state.

The institute is named after Ken Maddy, a long-time legislator in Sacramento representing the Valley.

To donate, visit the website or mail to:

Maddy Institute

4910 N. Chestnut Ave., office 43

Fresno, CA 93726

Check Out More Groups

For a list of more groups participating in Giving Tuesday, visit here.