No ArkansasGives day this year? What gives?
For the past three years, the Arkansas Community Foundation, "a nonprofit organization that promotes smart giving to improve communities," hosted a 12-hour online donation drive -- a very successful one -- in April to benefit Arkansas charities.
"Together, Arkansans raised more than $12 million to support 900+ participating nonprofits," according to the foundation website.
But no such day is scheduled for this year or for the future.
Lea Whitlock, foundation communications director, says, "When we first started, we thought this would be great for Arkansas because nonprofits could use some teaching for online giving. ... We knew it wasn't going to be a forever thing."
The foundation had announced that the 2017 event would be the final ArkansasGives, and for several reasons.
The foundation had matched a portion of the funds donating to organizations, and, Whitlock says, "The way it was growing, we weren't sure we would be able to sustain the event." Plus the foundation had accomplished its objectives.
"The first year we set the goal of $1 million; we surpassed that by lunchtime," Whitlock says. That 2015 event raised about $2 million for about 350 nonprofits. In 2016, $4.1 million was raised (surpassing a $4 million goal) for 600 nonprofits. Last year, $5.6 million was raised (surpassing a $5 million goal) for nearly 950 nonprofits.
"We are a very generous state," Whitlock says.
That generosity need not stop now that ArkansasGives has. Some nonprofits -- like the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra -- have come up with their own campaigns to keep the money coming.
Says ASO executive director Christina Littlejohn, "We wanted to see if there was a way to continue the momentum that ArkansasGives generated. ... When we ran our numbers last year, we raised over $230,000 on that day. ... It brought in about 25 percent more donors to our database."
So they're designating Thursday as "ASO Day." Donations received at ArkansasSymphony.org will be matched by benefactors.
"And when people donate that day -- this is pretty fun -- they get to vote on new initiatives for Arkansas Symphony to start next season," she says. Like expanding education programs, live streaming concerts and hosting intimate neighborhood performances -- think "microconcerts" at microbreweries.
They hope people will keep giving online giving a chance.
Metro on 04/15/2018