On Tuesday, May 5, from 6 a.m. to midnight, North Texas Giving Tuesday Now will raise funds for those adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gifts of any size can be made to support the Student Emergency Fund at The University of Texas at Dallas, patients in the Callier Center for Communication Disorders and first responders who seek stress-resilience training from the Center for BrainHealth. Gifts can also be scheduled online.

In concert with the global #GivingTuesdayNow campaign, Communities Foundation of Texas, the Dallas Cowboys and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas have teamed up to initiate a special one-day giving event, benefiting more than 3,000 local nonprofits, designed to offset the losses experienced due to canceled spring fundraisers coupled with a drastic increase in demand for services.

The Student Emergency Fund was established to help students afford rent, food, medical care and prescriptions, technology for remote learning, and other unplanned expenses. In just a few weeks, over 900 requests for assistance have been received by the University and more than $96,000 has been distributed to students in need. All gifts made on the UT Dallas page on the Giving Tuesday Now website will directly support students facing unprecedented challenges in continuing their education.

For the first time since its founding in 1963, the Callier Center has had to close its clinic to in-person appointments. As a result, the center is facing significant revenue shortfalls while the financial needs of patients continue to rise in light of the pandemic’s economic impact. The Callier Patient Emergency Fund aims to ensure continuity of care for all patients, regardless of income level or insurance coverage.

Across the North Texas region, health care workers, hospital staff, law enforcement officers and other first responders are under a tremendous amount of stress. The Center for BrainHealth’s stress-resilience trainings aim to deliver virtual lessons that will help emergency personnel perform their essential jobs with optimal performance.

Online giving for these causes at UT Dallas and thousands of other local nonprofits is open now through May 5.