New web-based platform and HQ announced for Midlands Gives 24-Hour online giving day on May 2, 2017

Now in its fourth year, Midlands Gives – the 24-hour, online giving challenge to be hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 – will be headquartered at the South Carolina State Museum. The Foundation has also chosen a new web-based donations platform, CiviCore. Last year, Midlands Gives raised more than $1.6 million for hundreds of nonprofits across the Midlands. This year, 335 nonprofits are participating, and corporate incentive prizes will total close to $100,000 for nonprofits on Midlands Gives day. View participating nonprofits and their expanded, more detailed profiles at www.midlandsgives.org.

“For the past two years, Midlands Gives has ranked #7 among 90+ ‘giving days’ across the country for the number of individual gifts given,” said JoAnn Turnquist, President and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “Midlands Gives provides everyone with the opportunity to make a tremendous difference in our community and demonstrates that everyone, no matter how large or small their gift, can be a philanthropist.”

Midlands Gives headquarters is a central location for the community to celebrate giving on May 2nd. Nonprofits and community members are invited to come to headquarters at the South Carolina State Museum on giving day to cheer during local television broadcasts. SCE&G will host the Parking Lot Picnic, a free event open to the public from 4:30 to 7:00 PM to celebrate our community’s giving. More details about this event and a schedule of broadcast times will be released in early April.

Local Corporations Have Donated 97,000 in Incentive Prizes
More than 100 prizes have been donated by Corporate Philanthropy Champions – accumulating a total of $97,000 in prize incentives for Midlands Gives. Prizes are awarded to nonprofits through challenge matching funds and giver-generated milestones. Some incentives are Power Hours, during which a small-budget nonprofit and a large-budget nonprofit with the highest number of unique donors during that hour will receive an additional $1,000 prize.

To drive giving, SCE&G will award $1,000 each to 30 randomly drawn nonprofits for a total of $30,000 if $1.5 million is raised by 5:00 P.M. Additionally, Aflac is motivating nonprofits to engage their boards by awarding $500 to 60 nonprofits with 100% board participation, totaling $30,000 as well. Other major donors include Nephron Pharmaceuticals, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, BB&T and First Citizens Bank.

New Online Platform Creates a More Interactive Way to Give
Central Carolina Community Foundation has contracted CiviCore as its new online platform for Midlands Gives. The system is designed to manage a high volume of website visitors and creates a seamless user experience similar to online shopping, complete with recommendations and an advanced shopping cart interface. Search through nonprofits based on category, interest or keywords and see more detailed descriptions with photos and even videos.

CiviCore limits the number of giving days that can use its secure platform on a specific day and provides dedicated staff as well as multiple backup systems. CiviCore has helped organizations raise more than $200 million for more than 10,000 nonprofits since its creation in 2000.

335 Nonprofit Organizations to Participate
Participating nonprofits have gone through even more training this year, preparing them to garner support and donations during the Midlands Gives event and help build skills and best practices for year-round implementation. With 335 nonprofits, there is a wide range of categories – from community improvement to human services to youth development, animal rescue and more.

Midlands Gives will be held from midnight to midnight on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. With a minimum $20 donation and a wide variety of nonprofits, it is easy for everyone to become a philanthropist. Discover participating nonprofit organizations at http://midlandsgives.org.

About Midlands Gives

Midlands Gives is an annual 24-hour online giving challenge for local nonprofits, presented by Central Carolina Community Foundation. This year’s event will take place on May 2, 2017. 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’ expert 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 24-hour giving challenge, 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.