Sloane Heffernan: The Giving Tree funds local schools with your donations

Are you looking for a good excuse to shop? I don't know about you, but I love a good bargain! And I love helping a good cause. You can do both at The Giving Tree in Wake Forest.

Posted 10:45 a.m. Mar 23, 2022 — Updated 5:16 p.m. Mar 30, 2022

Sloane Heffernan

, WRAL contributor

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Are you looking for a good excuse to shop? I don’t know about you, but I love a good bargain! And I love helping a good cause. You can do both at The Giving Tree in Wake Forest.

The nonprofit thrift and gift shop delivers a boutique shopping experience at discounted prices. The store sells home-goods, books, toys and games, linens, furniture, cookware, antiques, vintage items, artwork, dishes and much more. A portion of The Giving Tree sales benefits local schools (public, private and charter) in Wake Forest.

The Giving Tree was founded by four local mothers who experienced the hard work of supporting and organizing school fundraisers that would result in very little money being raised for the schools. The frustration led them on a search for alternative ways to raise money for their schools.

The Giving Tree uses a passive fundraising model that requires very little on the part of parents, students and school systems, according to The Giving Tree executive director Ayesha Pandey. The schools participate and earn credits through volunteering, donating and purchasing. Pandey says these accumulated credits then translate back into cash donations at the end of each calendar year.

Each time that you shop or donate at The Giving Tree, the store asks which school you would like to support. In less than nine years, The Giving Tree has been able to donated more than $130,000 back to schools in Wake Forest.

Here’s a list of the 2021 schools awards:

Wake Forest High - $4,200
St. Catherine of Siena - $3,600
Franklin Academy - $2,600
Wake Forest Elementary - $2,500
Heritage High School - $2,300
Envision Science Academy - $1,400
Wake Forest Charter - $1,350
Heritage Elementary - $1,100
Wake Forest Middle - $1,100
Thales Academy - $1,100
Richland Creek - $1,100
Jones Dairy Elementary $1,000
Endeavor Charter - $850
Heritage Middle - $800

The Giving Tree is located at 839 S. Main Street, Wake Forest. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.

Sloane Heffernan is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist and former WRAL-TV anchor/reporter. In June 2021, Sloane transitioned from journalism to launch Storymore, a brand storytelling business. Sloane now uses her storytelling skills to help businesses clarify their message and create a deeper connection with their desired audience.

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