Some might say nothing feels better than giving to those in your immediate community who need help. Case in point: Arizona Gives Day, which debuted last year, was reportedly a big success.
Arizona grantmakers adopted and are still promoting this event, which has been used in other states to encourage new contributions and engage technology to spur a wave of new giving to non-profits.
For example, in Colorado, nearly $21 million was granted to the state’s non-profits last year through online donations and corporate sponsorships from Colorado Gives Day.
Arizona Gives Day is in its second year and the Flagstaff Community Foundation (FCF) is making a special effort to get the word out about this online-giving marathon.
Statewide, in 2013, donors contributed some $1 million to participating non-profit groups.
The community of Greater Flagstaff will have an opportunity to give — through azgives.org — to non-profit organizations during an all-day fund-raising challenge on Wednesday, April 9.
The Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), and its local affiliate FCF, have been involved in Arizona Gives Day from the start. Other groups, the Alliance for Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers Forum, have also been closely involved.
These latter organizations report notable results from 2013, including the following: 27 percent of donors gave to a non-profit they had not previously supported, and 77 percent of the non-profits said they had attracted new donors in the first Arizona Gives Day.
The one-day online giving event is helping empower Flagstaff non-profits as they deliver community services such as education programs, music and other arts, social services and special programs for children.
“Arizona Gives Day is a way to support your favorite organization, but also to say thank you,” said Geoff Barnard, who is co-chair of the FCF Advisory Board. “This is something uniquely American – the huge amount of volunteer work that people contribute, their time and talent, in this community. Every day, throughout the year, people are giving of themselves 1.5 million hours of volunteer work, day in and day out, night in and night out in our community.”
Barnard said they are hoping that more than 50 organizations participate this year.
Big Winners
There are notable successes from Arizona Gives Day 2013 in Flagstaff, including Master Chorale, Pioneer Museum and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA).
Barnard also noted that the Hopi Foundation was another big success story last year.
“We participated last year,” said Becky Daggett, FALA executive director. “I worked with a student to create a great video and we added several photos. I was really proud of our profile [the online profile for FALA that was posted on the azgives.org website]. Arizona Gives Day is a great idea. Let’s all work together to build a stronger ethic of giving to our state’s many non-profits – the organizations creating jobs, strengthening communities, and serving Arizona’s citizens in need. Our state needs a strong non-profit sector!”
Regents’ Professor Edith A. Copley, director of Choral Studies at NAU and music director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, said the fundraising effort worked well for the Master Chorale.
“The 2013 Arizona Gives Day was definitely a success for MCF,” she said. “We were able to get a small group of patrons to contribute $3,000 last year. If MCF received $3,000 in donations during the 2013 Arizona Gives Day, this matching amount would kick in. We were able to raise over $3,000 in contributions that day, so the match happened as well!”
Kara Stewart, a singer with the Chorale for five years, will be coordinating the Arizona Gives Day campaign this year as the chair of the fundraising committee. She is also the section leader for the sopranos and a member of the MCF board.
“Master Chorale performances lift spirits and soothe weary souls,” she said. “Our choral music offers inspiration and encouragement to people of all ages. We also provide education to children and youth through our outreach to schools. Especially during the Christmas season, we give of our time to share holiday music with people in care facilities.”
At the Pioneer Museum and Riordan Mansion State Park, spirits were high during a potluck picnic for volunteers earlier in the month at the mansion.
Holding up a giant check outside on the Riordan grounds, Gwen Groth, who helped coordinate the campaign for both 2013 and 2014, said it was a group effort of board members of Northern Arizona Pioneers’ Historical Society, Arizona Historical Society and Riordan Action Network, a group she helped found in 2009 to save the mansion.
“We started talking about it for a few board meetings before, and everyone pitched in on the day of,” she recalled. “We called friends and family. Some of us were up until midnight. It was a big team effort.”
The giant check was for $10,778. Groth said $7,500 of that was given because the Pioneer Museum and Riordan came in second in a Northern Arizona contest to see which group could raise the most money.
Groth said the money will be used for general maintenance at Riordan and to contribute to the preservation project for the historic Gregg Cabin on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum. FBN
Visit www.azgives.org to participate in Arizona Gives Day, April 9, 2014.
Steele Wotkyns, a Flagstaff Business News contributor, is the principal of WotkynsPRplus, a public relations firm serving clients in Northern Arizona.