ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nonprofits and schools across the state raised $18,063,598 during yesterday’s seventh annual Give to the Max Day, a 24-hour online give-a-thon. More than 62,000 people donated to 5,694 organizations through GiveMN.org.
“Each year, we are in awe of Minnesotans as they prove their unbelievable generosity by raising millions of dollars for our deserving nonprofits and schools. We are incredibly honored to be part of this statewide giving day year after year,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN.
Donations were made from people in all 87 Minnesota counties, all 50 states, and dozens of countries around the world.
Nonprofits and schools challenged donors to help them win Leaderboard grants, which included top prizes of $10,000, $7,500 and $5,000. These grants are given to the organizations that raised the most money during the 24-hour period. Preliminary results show the following organizations on top of the Leaderboards in the following categories:
- Overall Leaderboard: Cretin-Derham Hall
- Medium-Sized Organization Leaderboard: Church of St. Joseph – Red Wing
- Small Organization Leaderboard: Avalon Educational Institute
- Colleges & Universities: Augsburg College
Golden Ticket prize incentives worth $1,000 were randomly awarded every hour to nonprofits and schools that received donations throughout the day. At the end of the day, two Super-Sized Golden Tickets worth $10,000 each were awarded—one to a random gift given during the scheduled giving period, and one from a pool of all Give to the Max Day donations. These Super-Sized Golden Tickets were awarded to Special Olympics Minnesota and Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial Association.
All Leaderboards and Golden Tickets prizes were made possible thanks to a generous grant from our partners at the Bush Foundation.
“Most people don’t even realize how important this day is for us,” said David Dorn, President & CEO of Special Olympics Minnesota. “Give to the Max Day allows us to reach donors across the state that we wouldn’t have access to otherwise, and their generous gifts make all of the difference for our athletes, coaches and volunteers. Winning a Super-Sized Golden Ticket was a nice surprise allowing us to foster even more inclusion, friendship, leadership, teamwork and respect for the more than 12,000 participants of all ages and abilities across Minnesota."
Give to the Max Day 2015 highlights included more than $7 million available in matching gifts and a HealthPartners sponsored “lip sync battle” at the Hard Rock Café at the Mall of America, where local principals were challenged to perform a 90-second lip sync routine. Principal Jennifer Mitchell of Minnesota Early Learning Academy was crowned Lip Sync Champion of Give to the Max Day 2015.
Special thanks to the Give to the Max Day sponsors, which include the Bush Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way, HealthPartners, Minnesota Community Foundation and The Mosaic Company. Additionally, Give to the Max Day was made possible thanks in part to media and outreach partners, which include ClearChannel Outdoor, Hard Rock Café, KIND Snacks, KS95, Mall of America, Metro Transit, Minnesota Broadcasters Association, Minnesota Monthly, MinnPost, Xcel Energy, and Zayo Enterprise Networks.
About GiveMN
By using technology in innovative ways, GiveMN
links donors with organizations that are making Minnesota a better
place. Its online giving website, GiveMN.org, enables giving anytime and
anyplace, allowing people to donate with ease and enthusiasm. GiveMN
brings excitement, energy and fresh ideas to Minnesota generosity.
GiveMN is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an affiliate of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. Launched in 2009 by Minnesota Community Foundation, GiveMN is supported by many generous foundation and corporate partners from every corner of the state. In addition, the people of Minnesota and users of the GiveMN.org website contribute individual gifts to support GiveMN.
Today, GiveMN serves more than 10,000 nonprofit organizations and schools across every Minnesota county and more than 290,000 individual donors who have used GiveMN to make a difference for causes in their communities. Organizations rely on GiveMN to help shatter the old-school fundraising model and connect more givers with more causes than ever before.
