Pharrell Williams is not only a Grammy award-winning artist and producer, but he is also quite the entrepreneur. And this week he announced an initiative to help Black and Latino start-up founders achieve their dreams.

Nonprofit organizations have long been a central part of communities across the country, and Indiana is no different. In Indianapolis alone, there are over 250 nonprofit organizations serving Marion County and the surrounding area.

Giving Tuesday couldn’t come soon enough for a hurting nonprofit sector, Tampa Bay industry experts say. The day of charitable giving, which started as a social media campaign in 2012, has grown into a major annual philanthropic event. The idea was to encourage a show of generosity on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, amid a season that traditionally has focused on shopping.

Donors are giving heavily to organizations dealing with the novel coronavirus and its economic fallout — developing vaccines, improving treatment and supplying food and other necessities to those suddenly unemployed, for instance. The tally reached $16.5 billion this week for wealthy corporations, foundations and individuals, according to Candid, a nonprofit that tracks philanthropy.

If you’re looking to give to charity this holiday season but don’t want to dip into your bank account, donating unused credit card rewards, hotel points and airline miles can be a helpful alternative. In some cases the charity can use the rewards for travel needs, and in other cases, the issuer can convert them to cash for the charity.