Give Ozarks Day 2017 will feature more than 240 nonprofit agencies that will encourage donors to support their causes during this 24-hour online fundraising event.
Donors can visit giveozarks.org today to make secure online gifts starting at $5 to support nonprofits that serve a broad range of needs and interests across the region. This year’s event –– “Give Where You Live” –– is presented by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and BKD Wealth Advisors.
Locally, two organizations are participated.
Participating nonprofits will be eligible for a record $206,500 in cash prizes and matching funds, including three new $5,000 jackpots, thanks to generous sponsors. In addition, 20 nonprofits were selected for endowment challenge matching grants where they will receive $5,000 if they raise at least $5,000 on May 9. The total prize pool is $106,500 and the CFO is supporting an additional $100,000 in endowment challenge matching funds to promote long-term sustainability for nonprofits.
This is the third year for Give Ozarks Day. More than $2.2 million was raised during the 2015 and 2016 Give Ozarks days. It’s the region’s single largest online giving day for nonprofits. The participating nonprofits are partner agencies with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
They include Houston Education Foundation, which is raising funds for technology at the district; and TCMH Healthcare Foundation, which is seeking donations for scholarships for its TCMH Youth Ambassador Program.
To make a secure and tax-deductible gift, donors can log onto giveozarks.org on May 9 and search for a specific nonprofit, community or area of interest and complete a basic credit-card transaction. A new feature this year is “give as a guest” to remove the step of creating an account or remembering last year’s password.
Donors also are encouraged to use social media to share information about projects and agencies they support. Agencies are planning a number of activities and campaigns to highlight their Give Ozarks Day efforts. Social-media users can use #giveozarks to track activity.
“We are excited to celebrate and highlight the important work of the nonprofit sector through this community-wide giving day,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “Everyone can find a cause or interest that mirrors their own passions, whether it’s children, animals, the environment, education, history, recreation and many more projects.”
Online giving days hosted by community foundations across the country have raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations in recent years. The CFO is partnering with Mostly Serious, a Springfield-based web development firm, to produce Give Ozarks Day.