The San Diego Foundation and ABC 10’s giveBIG Event Raises $2,109,640 - More than 6,000 Donors Gave BIG!
Dec
20
Written by:
12/20/2011 8:15 AM
San Diego Foundation Adds $125,000 to the original match pool of $150,000!
Dec 20, 2011 -- The San Diego Foundation's (www.sdfoundation.org) innovative giveBIG event made a significant difference for charities in San Diego through 6,175 donations which totaled $2,109,640. This was a huge success due to the strategic outreach of nonprofits and the overwhelming generosity of San Diegans.
The San Diego Foundation originally estimated a match pool of $150,000 based on other markets, but San Diegans "gave BIG" and exceeded any other marketplace. To maximize the benefit to nonprofits an additional $125,000 will be added to the match pool, bringing the total match dollars to $275,000.
The event, which ran for 36 hours from December 14, 2011 to December 15, 2011, generated about more than 6,000 donations in support of more than 315 San Diego nonprofit organizations enrolled in The Foundation's BetterGiving portrait program.
"The moment we saw contributions in excess of $1,000 per minute" said Bob Kelly, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, "we realized the level of support our community has for nonprofit organizations far exceeded the giving in other areas, and we have been working to see what else we can do to support this success." Kelly emphasized that The San Diego Foundation's match pool donation to the giveBIG event of an additional $125,000 recognizes the significance of contributions made by so many individuals and businesses and lays the groundwork for a second event next year.
"This money comes from the limited amount of discretionary funds we have here at The Foundation," Kelly added, "These are tough economic times for so many and we cannot express how excited we are to be able to do this for our nonprofit community."
He added: "The giveBIG campaign was a tremendous outpouring of support for the charitable programs which contribute so much to the well-being and quality of life in our community," said Kelly. "We succeeded with our multiple purposes of raising money for nonprofit organizations, while also facilitating new donor acquisitions for these organizations to increase their philanthropic support. The success of the event also demonstrates the progress our nonprofits are making in reaching out to their supporters using social media and on-line technology. Throughout the duration, our Tweeter hashtag trended in the top three conversations demonstrating an enormous buzz in the community.
Through The San Diego Foundation's $150,000 initial match pool and its added donation of $125,000, the giveBIG event allowed participating nonprofits to expand their visibility at no cost via the online campaign. "Every participating organization," said Kelly, "received information about their donors and donations made, while maintaining confidentially as requested. Our preliminary report indicates that 25 percent of all donors were new to their respective organizations, and this truly provides a valuable platform for future gifts."
The ultimate reach of giveBIG extended beyond San Diego, with donors coming from 48 states and seven countries outside the United States, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, China, Belgium, Mexico and Canada.
Ann Little, Executive Director of The Kid's College, said, "The Kid's College received 36 donations totaling $2,550 during the 36 hour online event. With these generous donations we will be able to further our mission of providing high quality, convenient and affordable educational enrichment programs to children in North County.
Doug Kot of the U.S. Green Building Council in San Diego added, "We were able to align our sponsorship drive through this match program; that created the right sense of urgency from our supporters to give us a strong start to the New Year."
Tom McSorley, director of development at Townspeople, a housing program for the city's most vulnerable residents – especially for homeless people who are HIVpositive or living with AIDS, stated. "With the visibility you were able to demonstrate there is no doubt that more donors will become interested. There is real magic when we come together as a community for the good of all rather than competing against each other."
This community event, said Kelly, was intended to increase philanthropic giving in San Diego. "The success of this event increases the likelihood that The Foundation and our philanthropic partners will host future matching events with an even larger match pool. The giveBIG event has already caught the attention of a new pool of donors and corporations who have applauded this year's effort.
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