Over $1.65 Million Raised for 390 Fairfield County Nonprofit Will Change Lives

Feb 28, 2020

12,666 Generous Donors Fuel Region’s Most Energizing Day of Philanthropy

(Norwalk, CT) Fairfield County’s Giving Day 2020’s results were announced today by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.  A remarkable $1,652,287 was raised from 12,666 donors giving a total of 17,230 gifts for this momentous day of generosity, kindness and community spirit. Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and businesses from Fairfield County and beyond rallied together to give where they live and work!

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, with champion sponsor Bank of America, were Giving Day’s driving force for the seventh year in a row. Since its inception in 2014, a total of $9,307,389 has been raised from 97,065 total gifts for more than 1,500 nonprofits.

Generous sponsors provided a bonus pool of more than $100,000 in prize money for participating nonprofits. Winners of Fairfield County’s Giving Day 2020 bonus prizes included:

  • Grand Prize-Most Unique Donors ($20,000 prize sponsored by Hearst Connecticut Media Group):
    • Curtain Call, Inc. with 1,318 unique donors
    • Curtain Call also raised the most dollars, $131,666, but participants are only eligible to win one grand prize.
  • Grand Prize-Most Dollars Raised ($15,000 prize sponsored by Bridgeport Sound Tigers)
    • Wildlife in Crisis with $81,085
  • Rookie of the Year-Most Unique Donors ($1,000 prize sponsored Fairfield County’s Community Foundation):
    • The Iris Fund with 46 unique donors in its first Giving Day
  • Rookie of the Year-Most Dollars Raised ($1,000 prize sponsored by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation):
    • ACT of Connecticut with $6,800 raised in its first Giving Day

For a full list of prize winners visit FCGives.org/prizes. To review the full list of nonprofit fundraisers, inclusive of prize money, view the final leaderboard at https://www.fcgives.org/leaderboards.

“THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Each year, on Giving Day, we witness the true, heartwarming spirit of philanthropy in Fairfield County and it is so exciting,” states Juanita James, President and CEO, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. “Our community including nonprofit organizations, businesses, individuals and media achieved a momentous impact right here at home today. Thousands of our neighbors united to create a thriving region for the people and places that are served so admirably by our nonprofit sector. This Giving Day, our region exemplified the motto of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation – Together We Thrive.”

For the Community Foundation, the community-building aspect of Giving Day is as critical as the dollars raised. As Fairfield County’s biggest philanthropic event, Giving Day encouraged the community to come together and make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. Nonprofits from a wide variety of interests were represented including the arts; education; animal welfare; human services; housing and much more. A total of 390 nonprofits benefited on Giving Day 2020 and raised critical funding, while increasing awareness about the amazing work they do throughout the region.

This year, Giving Day’s champion sponsor for the seventh year, Bank of America, helped to empower the community to participate in philanthropy by encouraging local giving to nonprofits, serving the 23 towns and cities of Fairfield County. “Bank of America is thrilled with the success of Fairfield County Giving Day,” said Bill Tommins, Southern Connecticut market president, Bank of America.  “In just 24-hours, individuals and businesses in the county showed their generosity for the area nonprofits that provide needed services to our communities. It is wonderful to see how partnerships can make our towns stronger.”

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation originally initiated Giving Day to empower the community at large and encourage local philanthropy across the many avenues of need in the region. James concluded, “It is incredibly rewarding to think that over the past seven years, Fairfield County’s Giving Day has raised over $9 million dollars for more than 1,500 local nonprofits, supporting their work to change lives for the better! We are overjoyed and humbled by the community’s outpouring of support.”

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation extends its gratitude to its valued Giving Day sponsors, including: Champion Sponsor, Bank of America,  County Sponsors – Hearst Connecticut Media Group and Bridgeport Sound Tigers; Media Sponsors including Moffly Media; Star 99.9; 95.9 THE FOX; WICC 600; WEBE 108; Barrett Outdoor and News12 Connecticut; Neighborhood Sponsors  – Newman’s Own Foundation; Bridgewater; Barbara Benton Davis Fund and Herbert B. West Award Fund;  Power Hour Sponsors  –  The Jeniam Foundation, Band Central and Town Square sponsors  –  Neuberger Berman; Webster Private Bank; Day Pitney; Albourne Partners, blumshapiro,  and the Event Sponsor  – Pinstripes. Each sponsor demonstrated their partnership to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and dedication to the greater community of local nonprofits to drive the continued success of Fairfield County’s Giving Day.