After nine years and millions of dollars raised for hundreds of Southwest Washington nonprofits, the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington will phase out its annual Give More 24! online fundraising campaign.
Instead, the foundation has announced plans to work with a statewide group, 501 Commons, during its two-day, GiveBIG campaign, encouraging people across the state of Washington to give back to their communities. The partnership with 501 Commons will also provide nonprofits with year-round tools, such as its fundraising platform Washington Gives and broader exposure to statewide donors, according to a press release.
Give More 24! was started as an effort to generate excitement around giving, raise awareness about local nonprofits and to help develop nonprofit online giving capacity. These goals have been met and will continue, just in a different way, according to Matt Morton, president of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington.
When the campaign began in 2013, approximately 1,200 donors contributed a little more than $425,000 to 87 nonprofits. This year, more than $3.6 million was raised from more than 6,000 donors for 216 area nonprofits.
Although the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington will no longer be hosting Give More 24!, it plans to help nonprofits through the transition to GiveBIG.
“We know change is a challenge sometimes and we will do whatever we can to assist in that,” Morton said. “We’re going to play a part as an organization to get the word out as local organizations get involved in Washington Gives.”
One of those local organizations is the Council for the Homeless, which has participated in Give More 24! since it began. This year, it raised $42,605 from 96 donors, just short of its $50,000 goal.
Give More 24! has helped the organization use social media and other online giving tools, according to Charlene Welch, the development and communications director at Council for the Homeless. The nonprofit will participate in GiveBIG next spring.
“We support (the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington’s) decision and believe the fundraising foundation they built with nonprofits of all sizes in Southwest Washington will serve organizations well as they move forward,” Welch said. “Community members are generous and will continue to find ways to support causes they care about.”
The Clark College Foundation is another nonprofit that has been involved with Give More 24! for years. This year, it raised almost $20,000 from 72 donors.
The nonprofit created its own day of giving three years ago called Penguins Give. While efforts will continue to go into that day of giving, the organization plans to participate in GiveBIG as well.
“I see an opportunity with GiveBIG to talk more about community college education and why that’s important,” CEO Calen Ouellette said. “We’ll continue to partake and support the Community Foundation as they expand and transition to GiveBIG.”
Moving forward and transitioning to GiveBIG and Washington Gives, Morton is hopeful it will lead to more opportunities for local nonprofits to tap in to year-round giving.
