{"id":15901,"date":"2026-10-31T18:11:51","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T01:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=15901"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:11:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T01:11:51","slug":"beat-the-giving-tuesday-noise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2026\/beat-the-giving-tuesday-noise\/","title":{"rendered":"Beat the Giving Tuesday Noise: Help KIDS FIRST! Bridge the Gap to 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-15538\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/KFFC.Outlined.Small_.png?resize=122%2C126&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"126\" \/>Dear KIDS FIRST! Family and Friends,<\/p>\n<p>As we look back on Phase 1 of our Annual Fundraising Campaign, we want to start with a heartfelt <strong>THANK YOU<\/strong>. Thanks to our incredible community, our Fall Sweepstakes raised <strong>$4,172<\/strong> to support youth journalists across the country!<\/p>\n<p>Every single contribution empowers young media critics, giving them the tools, mentorship, and national platform they need to thrive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We Need Your Help Before December 31<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15208 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026KFFC-1.jpg?resize=252%2C111&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026KFFC-1.jpg?resize=300%2C132&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026KFFC-1.jpg?resize=768%2C337&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026KFFC-1.jpg?w=820&amp;ssl=1 820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><\/strong>While our sweepstakes reached its 10% milestone, we still have <strong>$35,828 left to raise (90% of our goal)<\/strong> to reach our $40,000 threshold before December 31, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the honest reality: Without reaching this year-end baseline, our core operations face a critical gap in 2027. Reaching $40,000 directly sustains our biggest ongoing program expenses:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Professional Video Editing:<\/strong> Refining student reviews into broadcast-ready media.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expert Coaching &amp; Mentorship:<\/strong> Hands-on instruction in critical thinking and journalism.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Media Outreach:<\/strong> Amplifying youth voices to national audiences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Core Office &amp; Operational Expenses:<\/strong> Keeping our daily program delivery running.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/go.rallyup.com\/kidsfirst-portugal2027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-13485\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/donate.jpg?resize=254%2C77&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"254\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/donate.jpg?resize=300%2C91&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/donate.jpg?resize=768%2C233&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/donate.jpg?w=915&amp;ssl=1 915w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/a>Why Give Today (Instead of Waiting for Giving Tuesday)?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Giving Tuesday is right around the corner on December 1st. We all know that inboxes will be flooded with dozens of charity requests that week.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re asking our closest supporters to <strong>beat the Giving Tuesday noise and give today<\/strong>. Supporting early gives us the clarity to plan our 2027 youth journalism programs with confidence, rather than waiting for an end-of-year scramble.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Your Tax-Deductible Contribution Accomplishes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every dollar brings us closer to keeping our doors open and our young reporters thriving:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>$25 \u2014 Keeps Our Tools Running:<\/strong> Pays for 1 week of essential administrative, software, and office utility costs that power our daily program coordination.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$50 \u2014 Amplifies Youth Voices:<\/strong> Funds social media marketing campaigns to share student video reviews and interviews with over 20,000 online viewers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$120 \u2014 KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Boot Camp:<\/strong> Covers boot camp for one tween\/teen to receive expert coaching and editorial feedback and be trained to join our KIDS FIRST! Film Critic team.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$150 \u2014 Professional Edit:<\/strong> Pays for full video editing and post-production on a student-led film review or interview, bringing it up to broadcast standard.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$500 \u2014 Operational Lifeline:<\/strong> Directly sustains core office expenses, technology platforms, and coaching resources needed to run an entire month of youth journalism programs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$1,500 \u2014 Sponsor a KIDS FIRST! Reporter for 1 Year:<\/strong> Fully funds a young journalist\u2019s entire year of boot camp training, 1-on-1 coaching, video editing, and national media promotion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/go.rallyup.com\/kidsfirst-portugal2027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-4515\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Donate-Button.png?resize=123%2C123&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"123\" height=\"123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Donate-Button.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Donate-Button.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 123px) 100vw, 123px\" \/><\/a>Give a Little Love Today<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whether you can chip in $25, send a tween to boot camp for $120, or sponsor a reporter for $1,500, every gift matters.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/go.rallyup.com\/kidsfirst-portugal2027\/Campaign\/Details\">Click Here to Donate &amp; Support Phase 2 Today<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thank you for standing with our young reporters and helping us keep KIDS FIRST! going strong into 2027!<\/p>\n<p>With gratitude,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Evie Kaatz<\/strong>, Campaign Chairperson<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ranny Levy<\/strong>, President, KIDS FIRST!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sweepstakes raised $4,172, but we have 90% left to go to keep our programs open in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9,5],"tags":[10920,10919,10926,7299,4275,8517,7283,10922,10925,10923,10924,10921,10927,10519,6101],"class_list":["post-15901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-news","category-member-news","tag-charity-drive","tag-children-in-media","tag-education-non-profit","tag-film-critique","tag-giving-tuesday","tag-kids-first","tag-media-literacy","tag-non-profit-fundraising","tag-sponsor-a-student","tag-support-young-journalists","tag-tax-deductible-donation","tag-year-end-giving","tag-youth-development","tag-youth-journalism","tag-youth-reporters"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-48t","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15901"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15903,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15901\/revisions\/15903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}