Charities around the state get ready for Arizona Gives Day

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - More than 20,000 non-profits in Arizona will be given critical exposure with Arizona Gives Day, which starts on Tuesday.

The day of giving began in 2013, and has raised more than $10 million in the years since.

"It will go on for 24 hours, and there's more than 1,050 nonprofits that are participating, and that's big because that's the most we've ever had," said Kristen Merrifield with the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is asking everyone to invest in Arizona by giving to local nonprofits on Tuesday. One of the nonprofits taking part is Read Better Be Better, which has a goal of solving Arizona's literacy crisis. The program uses trained 8th graders to lead 3rd graders through the reading curriculum, in an after-school program.

"We went from serving 32 to now serving 1,400 kids per semester in kind of just over two years, so we have to fundraise to meet that demand," said Sophie Etchart, the founder of Read Better Be Better. "We're actually supporting classroom instruction by taking kids who are about 60 words a minute. So, we're taking kids who are sort of at risk of being retained by the move on reading law."

UMOM New Day Centers is also asking for funds. The organization provides shelter, services and affordable housing for the homeless, and they have a goal of raising $25,000, which is reportedly matched by a donor.

"$50,000 is amazing. For us, that would be 909 bed nights. Meals and wrap around services for 909 nights, serving that population of single women, family and youth," said Dana Bailey with UMOM New Day Centers. "Right now, today, I know there's 63 families living on the streets without any kind of shelter. They're on a waitlist trying to get in on a shelter program."

Arizona gives day starts at midnight, and all donations are done online.