Community Shares of Wisconsin gathered 69 nonprofits to raise a total of $636,434 Tuesday.
The online day of giving, dubbed “The Big Share,” hosted local nonprofit organizations in support of causes including voting rights, healthy food systems, criminal justice reform, housing advocacy, environmental protection and more, according to the Big Share website.
Free events happened both in person in Madison and online to allow donors to give to the nonprofit of their choice. Events ranged from drag queen bingo and line dancing to panels with local leaders. Running from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the event was broadcasted live on the Big Share website.
“Being a partner with Community Shares every year, we felt like it was something important to participate in,” American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Director of Development Tina Itson said. “It’s a really great opportunity to engage the community, to share a bit about who we are and what we do. It’s a great way to meet new donors and also engage your own members, donors and staff to have a day of giving.”
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In total, 3,372 individuals donated through The Big Share website. Donors could give a minimum of $5 throughout the fundraiser, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
The website allowed organizations to customize their landing page by telling their story, posting fundraising goals and allowing staff members to share individual fundraising links, Itson said.
“As a donor, if I want to give a gift to the ACLU, I can do that, but I can also give to another organization in the same transaction,” Itson said. “A lot of these organizations are doing great work and a lot of people have connections with more than one organization. I don’t have to go in multiple times, which makes it really simple for the donor.”
The Big Share website announced prize winners and leadership boards.
Law firm Boardman Clark received $500 for the Creative Video Prize and Custer Burish Financial Services received $750 for the First Donation Prize, according to the Big Share website.
Prizes for Most Raised, Most Donors, and Most Growth were all awarded to the Madison Community Foundation, according to the Big Share website.
