Give BIG Green Bay's one-day online fundraiser to benefit more than 30 local nonprofits
Shelby Le Duc
GREEN BAY — A slew of local nonprofits are about to get a big boost.
More than 30 charitable organizations in Brown County have been selected to be recipients of the community's first 24-hour online fundraising event.
The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and the Green Bay Packers Foundation are partnering to host Give BIG Green Bay. The all-day crowdfunding initiative is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit the chosen nonprofits.
The event aims to help a variety of local nonprofits raise significant funds, which is typically difficult for them to do independently, said Dennis Buehler, president and CEO of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation.
"This is about giving these great organizations an additional platform," he said. "Where people can research nonprofit partners and easily donate."
Give BIG Green Bay starts at noon Feb. 27 and ends at noon the following day. During that time, people can visit giveBIGgreenbay.org to view all of the charitable organizations and make desired online donations.
The nonprofits selected for the fundraising event's inaugural year, Buehler said, represent a diverse cross-section of causes.
Categories include animal welfare, arts and culture, community improvement, education, environment and conservation, health and wellness, hunger and homelessness, human services, military and law enforcement, recreation and sports, and youth development.
"There's really something for everyone," he said. "And any contribution, big or small, directly helps these groups continue to do the important work they do."
The nonprofits were chosen earlier this year following a registration and application process. Buehler said to be considered a group had to be a 501(c)(3) organization or governmental body that primarily serves Brown County, provides direct support to clients and conducts business without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, etc. Organizations could also not currently be part of a large capital campaign.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation contributed a $250,000 grant to help launch the crowdfunding event. Buehler said roughly $35,000 of the grant was used for event start-up costs, including the website and other infrastructure. The remaining $215,000 will be put into a matching pool.
"It's humbling to see the caring and compassionate work our local nonprofit agencies provide the residents of Brown County," said Mark Murphy, president of the Green Bay Packers. "We are proud to partner with the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation to encourage everyone in our community to learn more about the work of local nonprofits and to donate, at any level."
Nonprofits that raise at least $1,000 during the 24-hour period are guaranteed to received $1,000 from the matching pool. From there, matches will be distributed proportionally. For example, if a group raises 10 percent of the total donations across the board, that group will receive 10 percent of the matching pool. Although, Buehler said, the foundations reserve the right to even out the playing field in the case of an extremely large contribution.
NeighborWorks Green Bay is one of this year's featured nonprofits, part of the community improvement category. NeighborWorks is a group that works to build and maintain quality, low-income housing to ensure communities are living in healthy, environmentally friendly homes.
Sue Premo, the organization's marketing specialist and housing counselor, said the group is both honored and excited to have been selected for Give BIG's inaugural year.
"NeighborWorks Green Bay really appreciates this unique opportunity," she said. "We're always looking for additional resources to provide more safe, sustainable housing options. This gives us a chance, a stage, to further that mission at a time when 33 percent of the average income is going toward housing costs alone."
The Brown County Aging & Disability Resource Center is another organization chosen to be a part of Give BIG.
Laurie Ropson, quality insurance and outreach coordinator at ADRC, said staff is grateful for the awareness the fundraiser will spread out their mission, specifically the center's new coffee shop, Grounded Cafe, which provides individuals with disabilities work training, helping them land and maintain employment in the community.
She said their goal is to raise $10,000 before any matching, which will be used to further programs that will improve the quality of life of caregivers, those with memory loss and people with disabilities.
Buehler said Give BIG Green Bay has been in the works for nearly a year. The idea, he said, came about after other communities across the country had great success with the 24-hour crowdfunding method.
Donations made during Give BIG Green Bay come with a 6 percent processing fee. For example, $94 of a $100 donation will go directly toward a nonprofit. However, donors will have the option to cover the charges.
Give BIG Green Bay nonprofit partners:
Animal welfare
Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary, Inc.
N.E.W. Zoological Society, Inc.
Arts & culture
Civic Symphony of Green Bay
Neville Public Museum Foundation
Community improvement
Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity
NeighborWorks of Green Bay
Education
Bright Young Dyslexics
Einstein Project
Heritage Hill Foundation
Literacy Green Bay, Inc.
Environment
Green Bay Botanical Gardens
Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust
Health & wellness
Brown County Aging & Disability Resource Center
N.E.W. Community Clinic
Oral Health Partnership
Unity
Hunger & homelessness
Ben's Wish
Freedom House Ministries
New Community Shelter
St. John Evangelist Homeless Shelter
Human services
Aspiro
Casa ALBA Melanie
Court Appointed Special Advocates
Eye Heart World
Golden House, Inc.
Military & law enforcement
Disabled American Veterans of WI
Green Bay Police Foundation
Recreation & sports
Green Bay Sail & Paddle, Inc.
My Team Triumph Wisconsin, Inc.
Youth development
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay
Girls Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes