Organizers appreciate Clark County for generosity during the 24-hour fundraiser
You gave even more at Give More 24!
Organizers of the annual fundraising event are thanking Clark County for its generosity. After tabulating the totals, there were more donors and more money raised at last week’s day of giving than in any of the previous six years.
“Challenging times often bring out the best in our communities, and we saw that today,” said Jennifer Rhoads, president of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, the organization that runs the annual event.
“People are looking to respond and make positive change in their backyards,” she said, noting that the online fundraiser “proved to be a perfect outlet for that this year, because it offered nonprofits and donors an easy way to make a difference from a distance.”
A total of 6,620 donors gave just over $2.9 million to 225 local nonprofits, according to numbers released by the Community Foundation.
Many of the nonprofits had secured matching donations, up to $800,000.
The giving “marathon” started at midnight Sept. 24 and lasted 24 hours.
Nonprofit organizations did not know what to expect this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the organizations use galas or in-person auctions to raise money for their causes. Those events have not been possible for most of 2020.
Among the categories of nonprofit organizations were animal welfare, arts, culture, the environment, housing and homelessness, social justice, and veterans services.
Share received more than $95,000 in donations, the most for a large-sized organization, according to the Community Foundation. Options360 Women’s Clinic topped the medium-sized category, bringing in more than $88,000, and iUrban Teen led small-sized organizations with more than $56,000.
The goal, which was set prior to COVID-19 and the wildfires, was to raise $2 million this year. That goal was reached around 5 p.m. on Sept. 24, with seven hours to go in the fundraiser.
By midnight, the number had reached $2,889,790.
