Giving Tuesday: Midlands Gives Day Hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation

Central Carolina Community Foundation is rallying the community to support 480 local nonprofits on Midlands Gives Day. In 2020, the day of giving raised a record-breaking $3.3 million, and in 2021, the largest number of nonprofits in Midlands Gives history will participate, showcasing the critical need for funding.

The 18-hour, online giving challenge will be held on Tuesday, May 4 from 6 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. Gifts made during Midlands Gives will help nonprofits continue to provide critical services in health, arts and culture, human services and more. Community members can support nonprofits through contributions of $10 or more at www.MidlandsGives.org.

“When you donate through Midlands Gives, your unrestricted dollars go directly to helping nonprofits that support our whole community.”

     – JoAnn Turnquist

The increasing number of participating nonprofits is a testament to the demands faced by organizations severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A March 2021 survey of the state’s nonprofits by Together SC found that 59% believe they can only survive six months or
less without additional funding.

“The pandemic has forced many local nonprofits to expand or redesign their services while dealing with reduced revenue,” says JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “They have displayed remarkable resilience, and the dollars they received from our community during Midlands Gives 2020 contributed to their resilience. Although we are at a turning point in the pandemic, the nonprofits that have served us well this year still need our ongoing support and partnership.”

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Since its inception in 2014, Midlands Gives has raised $12.6 million for hundreds of local nonprofits, helping them amplify their impact, administer vital public services and boost the quality of life in the Midlands. To view the full list of participating nonprofits and their missions, visit www.MidlandsGives.org/Nonprofits.

“When you donate through Midlands Gives, your unrestricted dollars go directly to helping nonprofits that support our whole community,” says Turnquist. “Even a gift of $10 can make a big difference in aiding our nonprofits in the long road to recovery that is ahead.”

The Midlands Gives platform, www.MidlandsGives.org, is hosted through Neon One and can be accessed on a mobile device or desktop. It features a leaderboard, prize tracker and searchable profiles of all participating nonprofits. Donors can search to find their favorite causes
or discover new nonprofits by browsing categories such as Black-Led and Black-Benefitting, animals, youth development, veterans and more.

Then, donors add multiple organizations to an online “shopping cart” with donation sizes of their choice.

One hundred percent of each contribution, less a 2.2% credit card fee and 2.8% Neon One technology fee, will go directly to the donor’s selected nonprofit. Donors have the option to cover these fees at checkout. The Foundation does not profit from any donations made during Midlands Gives.

Early Giving is Open: Donations Count Toward Leaderboard Totals Early giving for Midlands Gives Day opened on April 1 at www.MidlandsGives.org. All donations made now through May 4 will count toward leaderboard totals. The platform will re-open for regular year-round giving on May 11. Join the Virtual Fun at the Midlands Gives Online Headquarters Midlands Gives Day will be livestreamed on the Foundation’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CentralCarolinaCommunityFoundation. Community members are invited to join the virtual celebration and cheer for local nonprofits by commenting and sharing. Over $155,000 in prizes are available and surprise challenges will be announced during the day, giving viewers the opportunity to help their favorite nonprofits win additional dollars.

Increase Your Impact: Create a Champion Page Individuals are sharing their philanthropic passions through Champion Pages, an online tool where users create a personal giving campaign to raise money for a local nonprofit, similar to Facebook Giving. After selecting a Midlands Gives nonprofit and a fundraising goal, individuals can customize their page with a personal story and banner image. On May 4, Midlands Gives Day, users are encouraged to share their Champion Page on their social networks and send the link directly to friends and family to fundraise on behalf of the nonprofit.

View Champion Pages and find more information at www.MidlandsGives.org/Champion. Your Gift Goes Further With $155,000 in Prize Incentives In Good Company Network Members — including Dominion Energy, Aflac, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Truist and more — are providing financial incentives, matching gifts and prizes for nonprofits on May 4. In addition, many nonprofits have secured matching gifts from generous donors throughout the community. The impact of individuals’ contributions of $10 or more will be amplified through Central Carolina Community Foundation

Midlands Gives is an annual 18-hour online giving challenge and year-round giving platform for local nonprofits, powered by Central Carolina Community Foundation. This year’s event will take place virtually on May 4, 2021. For more information about Midlands Gives, visit www.MidlandsGives.org or call 803-254-5601.

Central Carolina Community Foundation — the Midlands’ center for philanthropy — is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits, and area leaders to communities in need. Major initiatives include the Midlands Gives online giving challenge and year-round giving platform, On the Table, Connected Communities grants, the One SC Fund, the Best of Philanthropy Awards, annual scholarships and more.