Donating to local non-profit organizations has never been easier.
This year on Dec. 12, making a donation to one or more of 200-plus organizations will simply be a click away.
Valley Gives is the 24-hour e-philanthropy event that will encourage residents in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties to log on to www.valleygivesday.org and contribute to their favorite local non-profit organizations on Dec. 12.
The deadline for non-profits to register for Valley Gives has been extended to this Friday, Oct.12 at 5p.m.
Valley Gives is a brand new initiative organized and hosted by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
Community Foundation Vice President for Philanthropy Kristin Leutz said Valley Gives is a new concept to this area, but is a proven way to donate across the country.
“Two of our longtime donors and volunteers were looking for a way to inspire donations for non-profits and our staff began looking all over the country for a model,” said Leutz. “They found that ‘Give days’ work.”
Any 501 c-3 status non-profit organization can register by visiting valleygivesday.org and answering a few online questions.
To date, just over 200 non-profit organizations have already signed on for the effort and organizers have extended to deadline to guarantee maximum participation in the first effort at a giving day in the region.
“We would like 300 participants, so we are hoping to register 100 more this week,” said Leutz.
Joining this effort as partners are eight of the leading funding organizations in western Massachusetts – Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, Jewish Endowment Foundation, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, United Way of Hampshire County, United Way of Franklin County, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, and The Beveridge Family Foundation.
When donors visit the Valley Gives website on Dec. 12, between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., they will be able to make gifts to their favorite non-profits. Thanks to the generous sponsors and donors of Valley Gives, $150,000 in unrestricted cash prizes and ebonus matches will be given out to non-profits that inspire the most donors and raise the most money.
Leutz said Valley Gives is also a great opportunity for smaller non-profits to market themselves.
‘People who visit the website that day will be able to browse all the non-profits,” sad Leutz. “It’s really a way to jump start their social media and marketing efforts. Each non-profit gets the chance to tell their story.”
Leutz added that the website is “a secure and well-built giving platform.”
Valley Gives online partner, Razoo, a Washington, D.C.-based company that has helped raise more than $101 million for thousands of causes through a secure and easy-to-use platform, powers valleygivesday.org.
For daily updates on the progress of Valley Gives follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ValleyGives or on Twitter @ValleyGives.
