Phaewryn O'Guin of Springfield spent most of her day today outside of Shaws supermarket sharing sheets of information with shoppers about various local non-profits, helping to raise awareness about how essential nonprofits are to our quality of life.
Vermont Gives — a 24-hour social media blitz designed to leverage the naturally generous spirit of Vermonters — started at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The effort uses an online platform to funnel donations to the nearly 250 nonprofit organizations that have signed up, explains Morgan Webster, Director of Common Good Vermont, and includes programs that range from arts and culture organizations, to food pantries, to conservation groups.
A similar effort last year raised $83,000 for 209 nonprofits. That event took place during a 24-hour period from midnight to midnight. “We think this year’s evening-to-evening run is better timed to harness excitement and momentum during the hours that most people are awake — and, this year, enjoying Jazz Fest,” she says.
Staff and volunteers from Common Good Vermont and local nonprofits such as 1% for the Planet, Sangha Studio, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Vermont Foundation of Recovery, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, Burlington City Arts, Lund, and Mercy Connections will be on the Church Street Marketplace from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. today to raise funds and awareness. Shoppers and passersby are encouraged to stop by the Vermont Gives table near Lake Champlain Chocolates to make a donation (by cash, check, or credit card) and celebrate the important work of Vermont’s nonprofit sector.
A single website — VermontGives.org — provides a spot for all donations to be made. It also tallies the donations and tracks the leaders. As of 10 a.m. Thursday morning, about $50,000 had been raised, according to the website. “We’re hoping that folks will join us in celebrating all the good going on in our communities by giving generously!” Webster says.
Visit www.VermontGives.org to learn more about today’s events and to make a secure donation online.
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