Fairfield County’s Giving Day raises over $1 million
Mar 10, 2015
Donations to nearly 400 local nonprofits in 24 hours totaled $1,066,091
NORWALK, March 6, 2015—Fairfield County’s second annual Giving Day (March 5) raised a whopping $1,066,091 for nearly 400 Fairfield County nonprofits, thanks to 14,022 online donations and 13 business and foundation sponsorships.
Initiated last year by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Giving Day is a 24-hour period when everyone in Fairfield County is encouraged to “give where you live” by going to FCGives.org and donating to participating local nonprofit organizations.
“Our goal was to raise one million dollars in twenty-four hours for Fairfield County nonprofits,” said Juanita James, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “The outpouring of donations from Fairfield County residents with the cash prize sponsorships from our generous business community exceeded our goal. Thank you to everyone who participated.”
Twenty-eight nonprofits won cash prizes throughout the day. The prizes were funded by lead sponsor Bank of America and other Fairfield County business and foundation sponsors. All combined, Fairfield County’s Giving Day raised $1,066,091 for 386 nonprofits serving Fairfield County.
Bill Tommins, Southern Connecticut market president, Bank of America, said: “Giving Day not only demonstrated the generosity of our community, it helped cultivate a new generation of donors. This support will help local nonprofits continue to deliver the vital services they provide throughout Fairfield County.”
Curtain Call and Wildlife in Crisis were the two top winners. Donations and cash prizes totaled $82,203 for Curtain Call and $76,890 for Wildlife in Crisis.
Top 10 Nonprofits by Money Raised
| Organization | Town | Donations | Cash Prize | Total |
| Curtain Call | Stamford | 1,160 | 4 | $82,203 |
| Wildlife in Crisis | Weston | 327 | 2 | $76,890 |
| Music on the Hill | Weston | 323 | 2 | $53,275 |
| Domus Kids, Inc | Stamford | 446 | 1 | $38,481 |
| Cardinal Shehan Center | Bridgeport | 66 | $16,515 | |
| The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal | Newtown | 95 | 1 | $13,936 |
| Childcare Learning Centers | Stamford | 28 | $13,540 | |
| Adopt-A-Dog Inc | Greenwich | 126 | $13,330 | |
| Family & Children’s Agency | Norwalk | 258 | 1 | $12,595 |
| Stamford Center for the Arts/The Palace | Stamford | 38 | $11,869 |
Top 10 Nonprofits by Number of Donations
| Organization | Town | # of Donations |
| Curtain Call | Stamford | 1,160 |
| Domus Kids, Inc. | Stamford | 446 |
| The Ridgefiled Chorale | Ridgefield | 400 |
| Wildlife In Crisis | Weston | 327 |
| Music on the Hill | Weston | 323 |
| Family & Children’s Agency | Norwalk | 258 |
| Ben’s Bells Project | Newtown | 200 |
| Ben’s Lighthouse | Newtown | 185 |
| SoundWaters | Stamford | 183 |
| Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) | Bethel | 182 |
As for cash prize winners, four nonprofits received the top prizes totaling $70,000 for the most unique donors and the most dollars raised:
Most Unique Donors
| Organization | Town | # Unique Donors | Prize |
| Curtain Call | Stamford | 1,890 | $25,000 |
| Music on the Hill | Weston | 1,655 | $15,000 |
Most Dollars Raised
| Organization | Town | Most $ Raised | Prize |
| Wildlife in Crisis | Weston | $21,662 | $20,000 |
| Domus Kids, Inc. | Stamford | $19,744 | $10,000 |
Other Cash Prizes
Launch Prizes
Twenty nonprofits each received $1,000 as the first to receive 25 unique donations of $25 or more:
| Organization | Town |
| Amos House, Inc. | Danbury |
| Center for Contemporary Printmaking | Norwalk |
| Curtain Call | Stamford |
| Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) | Bethel |
| Daniel Trust Foundation | Bridgeport |
| Family & Children’s Agency | Norwalk |
| Music on the Hill | Weston |
| Music Theatre of Connecticut, Inc. | Norwalk |
| Pequot Library | Southport |
| Ridgefield Chorale | Ridgefield |
| Ridgefield Theater Barn | Ridgefield |
| Scholarship America | Stamford |
| Silvermine Guild of Artists, Inc. | New Canaan |
| SoundWaters | Stamford |
| Stamford Center for the Arts/The Palace Theatre | Stamford |
| STAR, Inc. | Norwalk |
| Strays & Others, Inc. | New Canaan |
| TAILS – The Alliance In Limiting Strays | Westport |
| Westport Country Playhouse | Westport |
| Wildlife In Crisis | Weston |
Power Hours
Four $1,000 cash prizes were awarded for nonprofits with the most unique donors during power hours throughout Giving Day. In addition, two random $1,000 prize drawings took place for all nonprofits that received donations during two of the power hours:
| Organization | Town |
| Curtain Call (2) | Stamford |
| Greenwich Alliance for Education | Greenwich |
| Liberation Programs, Inc. | Norwalk |
| Ridgefield Chorale (2) | Ridgefield |
Drawings
Three $500 cash prizes were awarded by drawings during a Home Stretch Celebration last night:
| Organization | Town |
| Child Advocates of Connecticut | Norwalk |
| Inspirica, Inc. | Stamford |
| The Newtown Foundation | Newtown |
Giving Day Facebook Photo Contest
Three prizes were awarded to winners of the Giving Day Facebook photo contest:
| Organization | Town | Prize |
| The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary | Sanctuary | $1,000 |
| STAR, Inc. | Norwalk | $500 |
| Fairfield Theater Company | Fairfield | $250 |
A list of all participating nonprofits and how much they raised is posted on FCGives.org.
“Fairfield County’s Giving Day isn’t just about raising money for local nonprofits, it’s also about raising awareness that you can make a real impact right here in Fairfield County,” said Juanita James. “Nearly four hundred local nonprofits working in areas like the arts, education, youth development, housing, animal welfare, and more were able to showcase their important work and raise funds that will allow them to do more. Thank you to all who answered our call to ‘give where you live.’”
Along with Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and Bank of America, Fairfield County’s Giving Day was supported by Deloitte, HHG, Cummings and Lockwood, Day Pitney, First County Bank, Neuberger Berman, Purdue Pharma, Tauck, The TNS Group, WEBE 108, Moffly Media and News Channel 12.
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation promotes philanthropy as a means to create change in Fairfield County, focusing on innovative and collaborative solutions to critical issues impacting the community. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds or contribute to existing funds. The Community Foundation is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards, and has awarded $180 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit FCCFoundation.org.
