giveGreater.org 2010 Challenge
On November 1, 2010, more than a thousand people flocked to giveGreater.org in the early morning hours to take part in the 2010 Challenge and help local nonprofits receive up to $25,000 in grants from The Community Foundation. Within the first five minutes, $15,000 in donations was raised. As the day progressed, so did the number of community members making a gift to various local nonprofits featured on the website. By lunchtime, 1300 donations had reached a total of $75,000. By the end of the day, over $94,000 was raised through 1,545 gifts.
Early Bird Prizes were awarded to the nonprofits that were the first to reach the threshold of 50 donors giving $50 or more in gifts. In fact, due to the enthusiasm and giving spirit of early donors, The Community Foundation doubled the number of Early Bird Prizes, resulting in the following nonprofits each receiving a grant of $5,000: Gaylord Hospital, Christian Community Action, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Solar Youth, Fair Haven Community Health Center and Neighborhood Music School.
Donors provided feedback to The Community Foundation early-on about their experiences with using the new online giving resource.
"It was fantastic," said one donor.
“What a great day for New Haven nonprofits," said another. "Just before I donated to Solar Youth this morning, total donations were at $16,000 or so, and just over an hour later, it’s over $55,000! I’m really happy to have played my small part, and I’m thrilled for ALL of the organizations who can use this as incentive to get more donations in the door. So, thank you to the Community Foundation, for all that you do for New Haven.”
Donor Andy Boone, liked how giveGreater.org offers him a place to find detailed information about the effectiveness of nonprofits in the region: “I want to be able to dig deeper and know who the most effective organizations are in the community in a particular space,” he says. “The Community Foundation is this hub and now for the first time, giveGreater.org is allowing The Foundation to distribute the information that has been collecting here and that’s an enormous gift to the community.”
The Community Foundation is hearing positive feedback from nonprofits too.
“This has produced great results, and it was so easy to use! I have it on all day and watch the totals rise. Technically it is perfect; design-wise, great!” says Monica Foran of Literacy Center of Milford.
“What a great incentive. It gives me a terrific tool, on many levels, to get our organization moving ahead on many of the technology and fund development issues we need to address. And the timing is good with our annual and board appeals,” wrote in Marcy Hotckiss of West Haven Community House.
“We had a great time watching the Leader Board ... and we are so proud to have received 60 gifts on the first day,” says Denise Rose, Executive Director of the SARAH Foundation.
“The early wave of donor participation on giveGreater.org serves to forecast what we hope will be unprecedented levels of giving to local nonprofits during the 2010 Challenge and for years to come,” said Will Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation.
Appearing on WTNH's CT Style with an Early Bird Prize winner, Ginsberg explained that giveGreater.org was designed, "for people who care about this community. For people who want to learn more about organizations, issues and opportunities to give." Watch the interview.
More than 5100 gifts were ultimately made through the giveGreater.org 2010 Challenge, resulting in over $500,000 in grant prizes to 46 local nonprofits. Read the press release announcing the Challenge winners.