Pooling Our Resources: Giving Circles Network Raises Funds at Kellogg Foundation’s Online “Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge”

Another step forward on the “pooling our resources to foster progress” front:

The Community Investment Network (CIN), a “national network of giving circles and everyday philanthropists,” was one of the participants in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s 10-day Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge, which took place April 17-26. The online challenge provided a dollar-for-dollar match up to the first $20,000 per nonprofit.

According to CIN, 183 donors contributed $20,744 to CIN during the Challenge. With WKKF’s $20,000 matching contribution, CIN gets a total of $40,744.

The event was inspired by a recent WKKF report on philanthropy, Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color, which “showcased the power of identity-based philanthropy.”

The full list of participants in the Challenge, which include other organizations that work in underserved communities such as Associated Black Charities, Hands On Atlanta, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, is at: culturesofgiving.razoo.com

For more on Giving Circles and other resource-pooling initiatives: Resource-Pooling Initiatives 
…………

Excerpt from WKKF’s Press Release [Online Giving Challenge Raises More Than $2.2 Million for Nonprofits Serving Communities of Color, May 1, 2012]:

Twenty-two nonprofit organizations participating in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s (WKKF) “Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge” raised more than $2.2 million over 10 days, demonstrating the power of online giving.

The nonprofit groups involved in the Challenge focus on high-priority issues in communities of color, including education, preventive health care, women’s and children’s advocacy and social justice. Running from April 17 to April 26, the online challenge provided a dollar-for-dollar match up to the first $20,000 per nonprofit, and communities rallied around their local nonprofits.  Nonprofits that garnered the most community support also earned additional grants.

More than $1.3 million was raised from 3,421 total donations during the challenge. The Foundation matched that amount with a total of $915,000. Further information on results for participating nonprofits can be found at culturesofgiving.razoo.com.

The event was inspired by a recent WKKF report on philanthropy. The report, “Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color”, showcased the power of identity-based philanthropy.  Identity-based philanthropy is a growing movement to spark philanthropic giving from a community on behalf of that community.

“The Challenge was a success because it really engaged grassroots participation,” said Dr. Alandra Washington, WKKF’s deputy director of programs for the education and learning, and family economic security teams. “This will serve as a model for what communities can do to help themselves and their causes in the social media realm.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *