Inaugural fundraiser Silicon Valley Gives generated close to $8 million for nonprofit organizations within Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Benito counties.
The 24-hour online fundraising blockbuster, run through the crowdfunding website Razoo with Silicon Valley high-tech giant Microsoft as the lead sponsor, was aimed at inspiring and uniting local communities to support philanthropic causes.
Among the participants, the Gilroy Foundation finished 20th in the amount of donors and 40th in the money amount generated out of 674 participating nonprofits during the May 6 Silicon Valley Foundation’s 24-hour online day of giving event.
The local philanthropic nonprofit, which has awarded about $4 million to a diversity of causes over the last 30 years, received $31,835 in donations from 84 individual donors, according to Gilroy Foundation Executive Director Donna Pray.
“We are proud of our community who understands the concept of ‘Give Where You Live,’” said Pray, noting they received $13,650 in matching donations from the foundation’s directors and staff, Headstart Nursery, Christopher Ranch and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Additional matching monies are still being calculated, according to Pray.
Four local restaurants—Black Bear Diner, Chevy’s, Old City Hall and Westside Grill —supported the foundation all day long by donating percentages of their sales to the foundation’s Community Needs Funds of agriculture, art, education and health.
The Morgan Hill Community Foundation was also in the mix—generating just under $6,500 with more than half of those funds going to its partnering organizations.
“We’re quite pleased that the foundation had a chance to reach the community and the community responded with generosity,” MHCF President Amy Whelan said. “We’re particularly proud that our partners were able to earn funds that are really going to help them see their missions through as well.”
Each participating nonprofit registered on razoo.com—considered the world’s fastest-growing crowdfunding site for causes—and set up a webpage describing what their organization is all about, such as its programs and funds set up by partners, to attract as many donors as possible.
There were fun matching games and prizes throughout the all-day May 6 event offered by various sponsors in an effort to maximize donations.
“It was a great event for us. We certainly hope it’s repeated again in the future,” Whelan said. “We learned a lot of things from doing it once, where you can take what you learned and apply it to make it an even better event next time.”
