Hundreds of charities statewide will look for additional revenue to help their respective causes and missions during the “401Gives” Campaign that kicks off on April 1.
The 24-hour event encourages the nonprofit community to ask for donations, matching contributions and provides incentives in the form of cash and other prizes, for reaching certain financial plateaus.
This event is spearheaded by The United Way of Rhode Island.
More than 500 charitable organizations throughout Rhode Island can get involved in this virtual, on-line event. Any registered organization can sign up on their website, and then encourage their friends, colleagues, co-workers, and other groups to help raise as much funds during that period.
In the 2023 campaign, 401Gives generated several million dollars for various organizations, according to their website.
“On April 1, 2023, 401Gives once again made Rhode Island history by raising over $3.4 million for 546 local nonprofits from over 15,000 donors,” their website posted. It added, “Thank you to all the donors, participating nonprofits, fundraising champions, business fundraisers, sponsors, and media partners for helping to make the 4th annual 401Gives a huge success!”
One of the many ways charities can earn more money is through the event’s incentives. For each hour a group reaches a certain goal set by 401Gives, they are entered into a drawing to win either a cash prize ($1,500 in some cases) or some other gift. These contests are fiercely run and can become really intense.
Regardless of which charity one chooses, just getting a donation from either a new or an existing source can have lasting, positive impacts for the communities and organizations they serve.
Phil Auger, Owner of Grants New England in North Kingstown, can attest to this phenomenon. He works closely with various nonprofit organizations on finding and obtaining grant money to help these causes. He works with clients throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and even outside of New England.
Auger believes both individuals and business owners want to help out their communities in some way. However, they usually do not have available resources to contribute. “This event is one vehicle to enable anyone to make a difference,” he said.
”I am always amazed at the variety of worthy causes supported by non-profits in Rhode Island,” Auger said. “In our work to assist nonprofits with their grant-writing needs, we have engaged with causes as wide ranging as after-school and summer learning for kids, various health access causes, programs to assist veterans, financial literacy, music therapy, teen mentoring, food pantries, basic needs and social services, recovery programs, historic restoration, and the list goes on and on.”
401Gives provides the platform for any registered nonprofit organization in the state, the ability to generate funds. It doesn’t matter if they raise a few dollars or several hundred thousand dollars. It also does not matter if it’s an established cause or one that just started. Every organization has the chance to make an impact.
Auger believes getting involved is the first step. Getting name recognition would be next, while sharing their story could make something happen.
“Fundraising is difficult work, even for nonprofits that have strong reputations,” he said. “If we all do what we can for the cause or causes that are most meaningful to each of us, it will be a great day for nonprofit fundraising across the state!”
“Focus on the giving, while being assured that the causes included with 401Gives are all worthy of your support and doing important work to improve our communities,” Auger said.
His advice would be to develop a team now to get started and be prepared for the day of giving.
“For newer start up 501c3 organizations, breaking through to establish relationships with charitable foundations and individual donors is especially challenging,” said Auger. “401Gives provides a platform to draw attention to so many of these truly important needs in Rhode Island that are desperate for financial support. The challenge for those who contribute is to choose among them.”
The public can participate by becoming one of their “Community Champions. They are seen as partners for the 401Gives’ efforts. Community Champions help spread the word about this statewide giving campaign, raising the visibility of the state’s nonprofit sector.
Their biggest function is letting people know about the event and how they can contribute—either monetarily or otherwise, through social media channels and local media outreach.
The 401Gives Campaign starts at 6:00 AM on Monday, April 1, and continues until 6:00am on Tuesday morning at 6:00am.
Anyone who would like to contribute to either one of these groups, or who would like to see where else to donate may visit www.401Gives.org to learn more about the program and how to donate during that time frame.