In just a handful of hours, 401Gives has crossed the halfway mark in realizing its goal to raise $1.5 million for Rhode Island nonprofits in a single day. With a flurry of gifts after 8:00 a.m., the effort is up to $782,516 and counting – the result of some 3,458 donors giving to 376 organizations.
“This has been a powerful display of everyone coming together to lift up our state’s nonprofit community, and there’s still so much of the day left,” said Cortney Nicolato, president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island in a statement. “The generosity that we’ve seen is really tremendous, and at the same time, not surprising – Rhode Islanders helping Rhode Islanders is truly what we do best.”
Cortney Nicolato, President and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island, will join What’s Up Newp at noon today to talk about 401Gives.
The day’s early highlights include donors meeting The Rhode Island Foundation’s challenge to match the first $50,000 in gifts in just :63 seconds; and 7 organizations having already raised more than $10,000, including Dare to Dream Ranch at $56,315 and Foster Forward at $47,350. In total, 401Gives aims to raise $1.5 million today.
Those organizations from Newport County that are among the top of the leaderboard so far are The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (more than $45,000 raised), Newport County YMCA ($9,395 raised), and Lucy’s Hearth ($6,525 raised).
More than 430 Rhode Island-based nonprofits are participating in the day, which has become the state’s largest single day of philanthropy since launched by United Way of Rhode Island last year. The effort is happening entirely online at 401Gives.org, making it convenient for people to support the causes they care about from anywhere, and using their phone or mobile device.
Last year’s inaugural 401Gives raised more than $1.3 million for 366 local nonprofits through a total of 13,377 donations.
Visit www.401gives.org today to support your favorite Rhode Island nonprofit.