Numbers are not everything, but they do add up to powerful results. Just ask the 155 great nonprofits who participated in Give More 24! last year.
To set the stage, let’s imagine 3,697 people. Linked hand-in-hand, they could span the Interstate Bridge from Vancouver into Oregon and back again. We also know that they could join forces to raise more than $1.3 million in 24 hours.
That’s exactly what happened last September during Give More 24!, southwest Washington’s largest day of online giving. Our 2018 Giving Day Recap report shares these figures, plus more amazing results and key takeaways.
Empower In Numbers was our campaign theme and—thanks to the efforts of 155 great nonprofits—we saw it in action. People across southwest Washington, and as far away as the Philippines, were inspired to give something more for local causes.
A new donation rolled in every 15 seconds on average, raising $945 every minute for a long list of great local nonprofits. Contributions ranged from $5 to $10,000, but it was really a story about how thousands of small, meaningful gifts can add up to one huge impact.
Why We Do This
The Community Foundation began organizing Give More 24! as a way to inspire more charitable giving in southwest Washington and promote our region’s incredible nonprofit sector.
We continue every year, because it does all this and more. It excites us to see a community of support form around these important causes, and here are just a few of the numbers that show how Give More 24! sparks generosity:
- Inspiring people to give: 2% of donors made their first gift to a nonprofit ever during Give More 24!
- Making online giving exciting: 5% of donors made their first-ever online donation during last year’s event.
- Tapping into networks: 76% of donors reached out to tell a friend about Give More 24!
- Encouraging more giving: 19% donated more than they planned to give before visiting givemore24.org.
- Making gifts go further: 52% of returning donors participated because their donations were matched.
You can find these stats and many others in our 2018 Giving Day Recap report.
Why Everyone Should Contribute
Every single number adds up to an impressive total. Every gift counts when we give together, and it brings to mind a great quote from a classic American short story by Edward Everett Hale. It reads:
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
Each of us has the capacity to give something. For you, that could mean rallying your friends through a peer-to-peer fundraiser, sharing Give More 24! posts on social media, volunteering to hang posters or pledging to give $5 or more on September 19. No matter how we contribute, each of us can seize the opportunity to make a difference during Give More 24! It’s an empowering notion, and one that becomes even more potent when we join forces around a common cause.
In the case of Give More 24!, that cause is improving life in southwest Washington—a cause that many more can get behind. Nearly 4,000 people is a great start, but we have hundreds of thousands across our region who can pitch in and help keep the momentum going.
Find Great Nonprofits, Share Your Reason
This year, we’ve scheduled the big day of giving for Thursday, September 19 and there are 170 great nonprofits to donate to. You can save the date by visiting our Give More 24! event page or by joining the Facebook event. Our goal for 2019 is to raise $1.6 million in 24 hours, and our theme and rallying cry is BeCause.
We know that everyone has a reason to care about their cause or community, and we want to hear yours.
So visit givemore24.org today and find a nonprofit to support. When you find a cause that speaks to you, share it on social media with #givemore24 and the “BeCause” or reason behind your gift. Then, get ready to give something more alongside thousands of your friends and neighbors.
BeCause this is one big community, and together we can give more.