Give More 24! fundraiser sets $3.2M goal to benefit nonprofits in S.W. Washington

Get ready for Southwest Washington’s largest single day of online giving. Give More 24! is back for its eighth year with a goal of raising $3.2 million. More than 200 nonprofits have teamed up with Give More 24! for the Sept. 23 fundraising marathon.

“This is a day where we rally the entire region to support local nonprofits,” said Community Foundation for Southwest Washington spokesperson Maury Harris. The foundation launched the event in 2013 to get more people involved in local causes.

Harris said connecting donors to nonprofits is especially important now in light of ongoing restrictions and operational changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Before the pandemic, many nonprofits in the region relied on in-person fundraising events. But with the pandemic, those large gatherings were restricted,” Harris said. “We’re looking at 1½ to two years of revenue sources upended … It really changed the way nonprofits operate and do business.”

Last year was a record year for the 24-hour fundraiser with $2.9 million raised for 230 nonprofits providing programs and services in Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties.

“Last year’s flood of support was a lifeline for nonprofits as they responded to increasing community needs,” foundation President Jennifer Rhoads said in a prepared statement. “Those needs persist and giving to local causes is one way we can help build a recovery that supports everyone and every sector.”

The hub for giving during the event is GiveMore24.org, which helps people find and learn about participating nonprofits. Cause categories allow donors to support everything from animals and the arts to veterans and youth development.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 23, supporters can make donations to their favorite causes and watch the giving add up in real time. Along with donations from individuals, more than $500,000 in matching funds as well as nonprofit prizes have been donated by sponsors.

Many of the participating nonprofits agree Give More 24! provides a vital link between them and their donors.

“It’s hugely important to our ability to provide high-quality health care,” said Free Clinic of SW Washington Executive Director Rebecca O’Brien, adding all of the clinic’s funding comes from donors.

“The (Give More 24!) event also helps raise awareness about the clinic itself and our need for volunteers.”

The clinic, which provides basic health care, dental and specialty care to uninsured and under-served residents, has set its fundraising goal at $50,000 this year.

This year marks the third time Outsiders Inn has participated in the fundraiser, but co-founders Adam Kravitz and Ren Autrey are optimistic this will be their best year.

“The first couple of tries we were just learning how to fundraise,” Autrey said. “The tools their platform provides helps us be more visible to people that are giving … We’re grateful for that.”

“We have nearly tripled in size in the last 18 months, so this is a great opportunity to let people know we exist,” Kravitz said.

Outsiders Inn raised $5,000 during last year’s Give More 24!, so this year they set their sights much higher. The group, which provides unhoused men with food, shelter and transitional support, is hoping to raise $50,000.

“It’s lofty but that’s OK,” Kravitz said.

“When organizations need support, this community really steps up,” Autrey added.

Staying local

For many of the nonprofits that return year after year, like the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, the event’s appeal goes beyond just the fundraising alone.

“The Community Foundation provides so many great tools, resources, and graphics every year, it is really easy to create outreach,” said Samantha Zeiner, administrative coordinator for Friends. “Because it is localized, it is easy for people all over the region to discover new nonprofits in our area, compared to the global giving days like Giving Tuesday.”

The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge set this year’s goal at $5,000. Zeiner said the group will earn two matching donations of $500 each if they hit their goal, and also need to reach that target to be eligible for other grants the group hopes to receive.

“As always, we want to spread our message and reach as far as possible, and this event really helps people in the Pacific Northwest find us, and learn what we can do,” Zeiner said, “and at the end of the day, if we just reach one more person who loves Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge as much as we do, or help one more person learn to love it through us, then it’s a win!”