Fairfield County celebrated its final Giving Day yesterday, as donors came together to raise more than $1.7 million for local nonprofits.
The 24-hour online fundraising drive, held on February 23 and powered by Fairfield County's Community Foundation, included nearly 14,600 individual donations, which supported 361 Fairfield County nonprofits.
This year's total rounds out a decade of inspired giving, raising $15.46 million for Fairfield County charities since its inception in 2014.
“Fairfield County is a community that cares, and on Fairfield County’s Giving Day, we were reminded once again of the depth and breadth of our county’s generosity,” said Mendi Blue Paca, president and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. “For the past 10 years, Fairfield County residents and local businesses have not only raised millions of dollars to support the critical causes and needs of our community, but have demonstrated that through solidarity and togetherness, the positive impact of generosity can only be amplified.”
Bank of America led the support of the local business community, serving as Fairfield County’s Giving Day Champion Sponsor for the tenth consecutive year.
“For the past 10 years, Fairfield County’s Giving Day has demonstrated how the power of shared commitment to a common cause moves our community even closer to reaching its full potential,” said Bill Tommins, President, Bank of America Southern Connecticut. “The legacy and impact of Giving Day over the last decade will extend far beyond this year and we look forward to continuing our support of year-round efforts to make Fairfield County a better place to live and work.”
Participating nonprofits included both returning and new local charities, spanning a variety of causes and needs from education and youth development, to housing needs and hunger.
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation was able to spread its nonprofit support even further by awarding more than $75,000 through dozens of bonus prizes provided by sponsors to participating organizations:
- Nonprofit Grand Prize: Most Unique Donors ($10,000 prize): LifeBridge Community Services
- Nonprofit Grand Prize: Most Dollars Raised ($8,000 prize): Curtain Call, Inc.
Additional prizes were also awarded to participating nonprofits and can be viewed here.
“We are truly humbled by our county’s 10-year track record of tremendous support for Fairfield County’s Giving Day,” said Blue Paca. “This year’s participation really put the exclamation point on our final Giving Day. Over the next year, the Foundation will continue to work with our partners to roll out a range of initiatives aimed at building even deeper relationships and providing more timely support to our region’s nonprofits. In the meantime, we want to thank every person and business that made a decade of inspired giving possible – We could not be more excited by the possibilities of what’s to come as we build upon this impactful track record.”
About Fairfield County’s Community Foundation
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation is partnering with our community to create a county where every person has an equitable opportunity to thrive. We work closely with community organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropists to address challenges and identify opportunities to create a stronger, more vibrant community. Informed by three decades of partnering with and serving our community, we have awarded more than $390 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. Learn more at FCCFoundation.org. Sign up for Foundation email updates here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.