An annual 36-hour online giving challenge raked in more than $1.74 million in donations for local nonprofits this week, raising almost $200,000 more than last year.
The fourth annual Amazing Raise kicked off at 6 a.m. Wednesday and concluded at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The event is spearheaded by The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. Participating nonprofits competed for donations and $185,000 in cash prizes provided by the foundation, area businesses and other sponsors for achieving various goals and milestones.
There were 20,421 donations made to 522 different local nonprofits this year, the foundation said. Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) topped the list, bringing in $70,932 from 1,046 donors, according to the event’s website.
Grand prizes were awarded to the top three large and small organizations that received the highest number of unique donors who gave at least $50 each. Prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 were awarded for first, second and third place, respectively, in both the large and small categories.
In addition to raising the most money, CHAT had the most unique donors of at least $50 among other large organizations. Its 990 donors earned it the $15,000 prize.
The second and third place finishers for large organizations were Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corp., with 412 qualifying gifts, and Elijah House Academy, with 406 qualifying gifts. Those groups raised $45,492 and $31,116, respectively.
Blue Sky Fund, which provides outdoor education and recreation for children from the city, had the most unique gifts of at least $50 among small organizations with 381, earning it a $15,000 grand prize. It raised a total of $24,501.
The second place finisher for small organizations was Richmond Center for Christian Study, which raised $20,905 and had 329 qualifying gifts. Project Yoga Richmond finished third with 267 qualifying gifts. It raised $22,570.
The Amazing Raise included more than 90 different prize opportunities, including the Selfies for Good challenge. Henrico County Humane Society won $1,000 for receiving the most selfies posted to Instagram and Twitter from unique supporters. The group had 548 of the more than 3,000 collected by all of the organizations, The Community Foundation said.
The event also included a 5K race Wednesday at the Boulders and a countdown celebration at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Thursday.
Last year’s Amazing Raise raised $1.55 million in donations for 470 Richmond area nonprofits.
Here is a sampling of this year’s prize winners:
• Sunset special (for the donation closest to sunset Wednesday): Friends of Center for the Arts, $1,000 prize
• Midnight Madness (for the donation closest to midnight): Richmond Regional Ride Center, $1,000 prize
• Coffee Break (for the most donations between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday): Richmond Triangle Players, $1,000 prize
• 15,000th gift: Full Circle Grief Center, $1,500 prize
• Million Dollar Baby (for the donation that put the Amazing Raise over the $1 million mark): ChildSavers, $1,500 prize
• Nifty 50 (given to a group that receives donations from all 50 states): Richmond Symphony, $1,000 prize
For a complete list of this year’s winners and total donations, visit theamazingraise.org.
An annual 36-hour online giving challenge raked in more than $1.74 million in donations for local nonprofits this week, raising almost $200,000 more than last year.
The fourth annual Amazing Raise kicked off at 6 a.m. Wednesday and concluded at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The event is spearheaded by The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. Participating nonprofits competed for donations and $185,000 in cash prizes provided by the foundation, area businesses and other sponsors for achieving various goals and milestones.
There were 20,421 donations made to 522 different local nonprofits this year, the foundation said. Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) topped the list, bringing in $70,932 from 1,046 donors, according to the event’s website.
Grand prizes were awarded to the top three large and small organizations that received the highest number of unique donors who gave at least $50 each. Prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 were awarded for first, second and third place, respectively, in both the large and small categories.
In addition to raising the most money, CHAT had the most unique donors of at least $50 among other large organizations. Its 990 donors earned it the $15,000 prize.
The second and third place finishers for large organizations were Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corp., with 412 qualifying gifts, and Elijah House Academy, with 406 qualifying gifts. Those groups raised $45,492 and $31,116, respectively.
Blue Sky Fund, which provides outdoor education and recreation for children from the city, had the most unique gifts of at least $50 among small organizations with 381, earning it a $15,000 grand prize. It raised a total of $24,501.
The second place finisher for small organizations was Richmond Center for Christian Study, which raised $20,905 and had 329 qualifying gifts. Project Yoga Richmond finished third with 267 qualifying gifts. It raised $22,570.
The Amazing Raise included more than 90 different prize opportunities, including the Selfies for Good challenge. Henrico County Humane Society won $1,000 for receiving the most selfies posted to Instagram and Twitter from unique supporters. The group had 548 of the more than 3,000 collected by all of the organizations, The Community Foundation said.
The event also included a 5K race Wednesday at the Boulders and a countdown celebration at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Thursday.
Last year’s Amazing Raise raised $1.55 million in donations for 470 Richmond area nonprofits.
Here is a sampling of this year’s prize winners:
• Sunset special (for the donation closest to sunset Wednesday): Friends of Center for the Arts, $1,000 prize
• Midnight Madness (for the donation closest to midnight): Richmond Regional Ride Center, $1,000 prize
• Coffee Break (for the most donations between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday): Richmond Triangle Players, $1,000 prize
• 15,000th gift: Full Circle Grief Center, $1,500 prize
• Million Dollar Baby (for the donation that put the Amazing Raise over the $1 million mark): ChildSavers, $1,500 prize
• Nifty 50 (given to a group that receives donations from all 50 states): Richmond Symphony, $1,000 prize
For a complete list of this year’s winners and total donations, visit theamazingraise.org.