Midlands Gives breaks record with $2,028,966 via 14,272 gifts

Breaking its all-time record, Midlands Gives has raised an estimated total of $2,028,966 million dollars via 14,272 individual gifts. (A final total will be released in the coming weeks after numbers have been reconfirmed.) Featuring 415 participating nonprofits, the 18-hour online giving challenge was hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation on May 7, 2018. View the leaderboard of gifts and prizes here: https://www.midlandsgives.org/leaderboards.

“We join more than 400 nonprofits in saying thank you to thousands of donors who made this possible,” says JoAnn Turnquist, president & CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “Working together we raised $2,028,966 via 14,272 gifts. Our board and staff are overwhelmed by the ongoing generosity of folks in our region. Thank you!”

Six Years of Community Impact and More Than $9.3 Million Raised

Since the inception of Midlands Gives in 2014, Central Carolina Community Foundation has raised more than $9.3 million for hundreds of local nonprofits.

In 2018, Midlands Gives raised $1,756,332 million dollars via 14,665 individual gifts. In 2017, Midlands Gives raised $1,672,118 via 13,765 individual gifts, for 337 charities. In 2016, Midlands Gives raised $1.6 million via 12,536 individual gifts, for 382 charities. In 2015, Midlands Gives raised $1,543,032.65, via 11,372 individual gifts, for 251 charities. In 2014, the event’s inaugural year, $704,932.23 was raised, via 5,186 individual gifts, for 150 charities. Midlands Gives is one of almost 100 giving days that take place in cities across America throughout the year. In 2015 and 2016, Midlands Gives ranked in the top 10 in the nation in number of individual gifts, indicating the widespread generosity of the region.

“The support of our corporate philanthropy champions cannot be overstated. The fact that matching gifts and prizes have doubled to almost $200,000 shows how much generosity courses through our region,” says Turnquist. “It’s so exciting to see what happens when nonprofits, the business community and givers from across so many diverse communities come together to lift up the Midlands.”

Prize Incentives Increased to Nearly $200,000 on Midlands Gives Day

During Midlands Gives, Dominion Energy doubled both of their incentive prizes, increasing the total prizes to $194,500 — the largest number of sponsored prizes in Midlands Gives history. Corporate Philanthropy Champions — including Dominion Energy, Aflac, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, BB&T, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Southeastern Freight Lines, and more — provided financial incentives, matching gifts and prizes for nonprofits on May 7 amplifying individuals’ contributions of $20 or more. The full list of prizes can be found at https://www.midlandsgives.org/prizes.

Double the Prizes During Dominion Energy’s Lunch Hour Public Putting Challenge

Community members came to Midlands Gives headquarters at Segra Park for the Dominion Energy putting challenge. At the start of the challenge, Dominion Energy announced they would double the number of $500 prizes available from 10 to 20 gifts. Through the lunch hour, visitors took two tries at putting a hole in one until all 20 prizes were awarded.

New: Donors Set Up Recurring Gifts During Midlands Gives
This year, donors could set up recurring gifts during Midlands Gives, a new feature for the online platform. Donors set up automated, online donations to the nonprofit(s) of choice and set the frequency to monthly or quarterly. Donations are automatically processed on the date designated, allowing donors to easily support their favorite nonprofits throughout the year.

Record-Breaking Nonprofit Participation

This year, 415 nonprofits across the 11 Midlands counties served by the Foundation participated in Midlands Gives — setting a record for the largest number of participating nonprofits in Midlands Gives history. From animal rescue to environmental conservation, youth development and more, almost all of the 415 nonprofits received at least one donation. The Community Foundation is pleased to see each nonprofit benefit from Midlands Gives, and in turn, benefit our community.

Midlands Gives Headquarters at Segra Park a Home Run

Midlands Gives headquarters at Segra Park (formerly Spirit Communications Park) provided a central location for the community to celebrate and cheer for their favorite charities on Tuesday, May 7. With Central Carolina Community Foundation’s new offices in the First Base Building in the BullStreet District, their new next-door neighbor, Segra Park served as a fitting location as the headquarters. Nonprofits and their fans were encouraged to come to the museum with signs and cheer during live TV news broadcasts during early morning, midday and evening television broadcasts.

“The energy at Midlands Gives HQ at Segra Park was palpable,” says Turnquist. “We thank our media partners for coming together to share stories of impact throughout Midlands Gives day. Their support amplified the voices of nonprofits and how they make a difference in our community.”

Individuals Raised $63,764 through Champion Pages

For the second year, Champion Pages acted as a vehicle for individuals to share their philanthropic passions. Many shared Champion Pages on social media and sent direct links to their networks, resulting in $63,764 raised for a variety of local nonprofits. More information can be found at http://www.midlandsgives.org/champion.

Advance, Scheduled Giving Again a Success
As has become tradition, Central Carolina Community Foundation implemented easy, early, pre-scheduled online giving from April 23 to May 6. Advance, scheduled gifts were processed beginning at 6:00 a.m. to kick off Midlands Gives with a solid base of scheduled donations at $151,854.65

CiviCore was again retained as the online platform for Midlands Gives. Capable of high-volume usage, the website platform is specially designed for the gamification aspects of a giving day, including recommendations, prize tracking and leaderboards. With the exception of standard credit card processing fees and a technology fee (average 2.1% credit card fee + 2.8% technology fee), every penny donated via Midlands Gives went directly to the giver’s nonprofit(s) of choice. Overhead costs are covered by Central Carolina Community Foundation and its supporters.

Midlands Gives makes it easy for everyone to become a philanthropist. Learn more at http://www.MidlandsGives.org.

 

About Midlands Gives
Midlands Gives is an annual 18-hour online giving challenge for local nonprofits, presented by Central Carolina Community Foundation. This year’s event will take place on May 7, 2019. For more information about Midlands Gives, visit www.midlandsgives.org or call 803-254-5601.

About Central Carolina Community Foundation
Central Carolina Community Foundation — the Midlands’ center on philanthropy — is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. Major initiatives include the Midlands Gives online giving challenge, On the Table, Connected Communities grants, the One SC Fund, the Best of Philanthropy Awards, annual scholarships and more. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601.