Give Day is a 24-hour online challenge to donate to Tampa Bay nonprofits.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay community donated more than $1.76 million during Give Day Tampa Bay, the 24-hour online giving challenge held May 1.

More than 8,200 donors contributed to 420 local nonprofits during the annual campaign, now in its fifth year.

This year, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, which organizes Give Day, placed an emphasis on matching donations in order to exponentially increase the amount of money raised by a nonprofit during Give Day and maximize the nonprofits’ impact on their communities.

“The Tampa Bay community stepped up again this year to support the important work of our local nonprofits,” said Marlene Spalten, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. “Matching donations were one of our main goals this year because they help nonprofits think strategically and increase their capabilities.”

The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay also challenged this year’s nonprofits to think outside the box when it came to running their campaigns. The Foundation awarded $5,000 to the nonprofit that executed the most creative and unique strategy. An independent panel of judges selected Eight O’Clock Theatre, a Largo-based community theater, for the Creativity Prize.

Eight O’Clock Theatre created behind-the-scenes music videos, performed by the cast of their current production, Jekyll & Hyde, that highlighted the generosity of the donors who make the productions possible. The videos musically and humorously explored the process of a stage production, from the excitement and anxiety of auditioning all the way through the magic of opening night.

The Theatre also shared testimonials from people who have been effected by their experiences at Eight O’Clock theatre with the tagline, “Every small act helps big dreams come true.”

Overall category prizes for Give Day Tampa Bay 2018 focused on the most unique donors, which emphasized creating more awareness and engaging with new donors. The categories were separated between large, medium and small nonprofits.

In the large nonprofits category, Big Cat Rescue was the top fundraiser with 866 donors who raised $76,415 in 24 hours. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay came in second in this category, with 233 unique donors who raised $19,042, and the Center for Great Apes in third with 199 unique donors who raised $24,615.

Suncoast Animal League had the most unique donors in the medium nonprofits category with 327 donors who raised $18,825. Community Learning Center followed in second with 178 unique donors who raised $4,635, and High Risk Hope in third with 148 unique donors who raised $13,599.

In the small nonprofits category, Chabad of Clearwater earned the most unique donors with 415 people who raised $9,619. Carrollwood Players Theatre came in second in this category with 256 donors who raised $7,831, and Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue in third with 250 donors who raised $11,860.

In addition to individual donors, the business community also showed its support on Give Day. Several sponsors, including the Brink Foundation, Gobioff Foundation, TECO Energy, DeBartolo Family Foundation, AARP, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees, funded additional prizes for the nonprofits. Here is a list of the winners:

• Big Cat Rescue, Suncoast Animal League, and Chabad of Clearwater each won a $2,000 prize for most unique donors (large, medium and small nonprofit) presented by the Brink Foundation and supporting sponsors Suntrust, AARP, and the Lightning Foundation.
• WEDU PBS and the Carrollwood Players Theatre each won a $5,000 Arts and Culture prize, sponsored by the Gobioff Foundation.
• Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, Community Food Pantry, Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue, Community Learning Center, Suncoast Animal League, Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, the Cypress Initiative, and Carrollwood Players Theatre each won $1,000 through TECO Power Hour prizes.
• Chabad of Clearwater won $2,000 for the TECO Power Hour Lunch prize.
• Big Cat Rescue won a $2,500 Animal Services prize, sponsored by the DeBartolo Family Foundation.
• Thirty nonprofits won the $1,000 Matching Grant prize for meeting a matching donation of at least $500: AMIkids; Beat Nb; Benedictine Sisters of Florida; Brain Expansions Scholastic Training – BEST Program; Community Food Pantry; Cristo Rey Tampa High School; Directions for Living; Family Promise of Hillsborough County; Franciscan Center, Tampa; St Francis Society Animal Rescue; Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.; Chabad of Clearwater; High Risk Hope; Humane Society of Tampa Bay; Jobsite Theater; National CMV Foundation; the Next STEPP Pregnancy Center St. Petersburg, FL; Preserve the ‘Burg; Quantum Leap Farm, Inc.; Ready for Life, Inc.; Rugaz Rescue Inc., SPCA Tampa Bay; St Petersburg City Theatre; Suncoast Animal League; Tampa Bay Waterkeeper; Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network; the Cypress Initiative; the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts; University Area CDC; and the Warehouse Arts District.

In addition, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay provided extensive exposure to nonprofits participating in Give Day Tampa Bay, including a number of stories in local newspapers and on TV and radio outlets. Also, WEDU carried a Give Day webcast live from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on its website and on WEDQ, giving more than 100 nonprofits the opportunity to tell their story to potential donors.

“Of course we always strive to raise funds on Give Day, but raising awareness of Tampa Bay’s nonprofits and the vital work they do is a high priority, too,” Spalten said. “We hope to continue the push to support nonprofits in our community.”

Since 2014, Give Day Tampa Bay has raised nearly $9 million for causes ranging from arts and culture to health and wellness and animal welfare to education and youth development.

Charity | Give Day Tampa Bay | Donations | Community Foundation of Tampa Bay | Tampabay News

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