A new online charity campaign, Give To Jamaica Week (GTJ Week), is aiming to channel more of the Jamaican Diaspora’s annual charitable donations directly to causes at home. The campaign, which launched at GiveToJamaica.com, is inviting early pledges ahead of its official run from October 18–25.
The initiative coincides with Jamaica’s National Heroes Week and seeks to create a tradition of collective giving that could have a significant impact on the island. According to Barron Channer, a GTJ Week organizer, “The Jamaican Diaspora in the US contributes One Billion US Dollars annually to charity, Canada and the United Kingdom add even more. It would be transformative to have a more significant share of this massive charitable giving flow to direct support of causes in Jamaica. That vision drives our passionate promotion of Give To Jamaica Week and GiveToJamaica.com.”
GTJ Week 2025 will feature roughly 260 charities and schools. All Jamaican public schools were eligible to participate, and over 20% registered, representing every parish in the country. Charities span healthcare, education, women’s support, rural development, special needs, and arts and culture. Organizations were nominated by leading foundations and vetted for credibility.
The campaign is led by a committee of Jamaican Diaspora professionals, including Dr. Tina Carroll-Scott, Barron Channer, Theresa Heron, Marlon Hill, Esq., Melissa McGowan-Wright, Keisha Phipps, Julie Seaga-Cortizas, and Karen Vassell, and is supported by community ambassadors in New York, South Florida, and Atlanta. Several major Jamaican philanthropic organizations also contributed nominations, including the Digicel Foundation, Sandals Foundation, The American Friends of Jamaica, Council on Voluntary Social Services, and Kingston Creative.
Visitors to GiveToJamaica.com can explore participating charities and schools and contribute directly. GTJ Week is also being promoted on Instagram @givetojamaica and Facebook at Give To Jamaica Week.
The campaign is organized by the Give To Jamaica Foundation, a Florida nonprofit dedicated to connecting donors with impactful local charities and public schools in Jamaica.
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