Breaking records on GiveMN!

This past Wednesday was a day for the philanthropy history books as GiveMN.org's Give To The Max Day, a 24 hour online giving campaign, raised a total of $13.4 million dollars!  

Records were broken as 47,535 individuals donated to 3,978 organizations - compared to last year, that's 4,939 more donors that gave, and 342 more organizations that benefited, from this annual event.  Here at the Foundation, we're so grateful to the donors who contributed over $2,400 to the Foundation's endowment, two of our community funds and the Wadena tornado relief fund!!

GiveMN is such a fun and easy way for people to contribute to the causes that matter to them.  And it's unique to the nation, firmly putting Minnesota on the 'giving map'.  Thank you to everyone for supporting all our region’s worthy causes and helping to spread the word about this great opportunity for Minnesota’s nonprofits!

Here's a little snippet from an email that the GiveMN staff sent out yesterday:

"Yesterday, Minnesotans once again showed unparalleled generosity. Together, 47,535 people gave a total of more than $13.4 million for 3,978 organizations in just 24 hours. This is the result of our collective effort - we are so proud to collaborate with thousands of nonprofits from Red Wing to Moorhead to Grand Marais.  Though words are not enough, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you."

They also put together this fun two minute video:

Online Giving in MN is Changing

Have you heard the buzz? There's a new website in town and it just might change the face of online giving in Minnesota. It's www.GiveMN.org and it went live last week.

According to my coworker, Matt (who's also on GiveMN's Strategy Cabinet), "It's a visionary & exciting project!"

Here's the deal... GiveMN.org has been pre-loaded with basic information on Minnesota 501(c)3s and gives contributors information about all charitable nonprofits in Minnesota. It provides every charitable nonprofit equal access to online contributors. And, it encourages local online giving.

A couple of big things... there is no cost to a nonprofit to participate in GiveMN.org, and, at least initially, all credit card processing fees for donations will be covered by GiveMN.org funding partners.

To learn more:

• check out the Initiative Foundation's GiveMN page,
• encourage all nonprofits (there are over 20,000 in Minnesota!) to claim their page,
• or better yet... try it out! Find your favorite nonprofit and donate today.

And if you want your dollar to go a little further... next Tuesday, November 17th is Give to the Max Day. Every donation made that day will receive a portion of a $500,000 match.

(NOTE: When this same model was tried in Dallas, donors blew through an online match of $400,000. That day, they raised over $4 million!)

With GiveMN.org, the fundraising potential for Minnesota's nonprofits and the causes they support is HUGE.

Please help spread the word!

Remembering Brothers

I refer to my brother Donn as “my kid brother.” Sure, he’s past fifty, his hair is even grayer than mine, and he’s considerably more wrinkled than just about every other kid I know. But he’s still my kid brother, and brothers are special.

Maybe that’s why Dave Wood and I became instant friends.

Dave came to our office one day a couple of years back to tell us about his older brother Mark, whose life and untimely death will always be part of the Initiative Foundation. You see, Mark had gotten to know some underprivileged kids through his work as a mentor, where he’d provided a positive role model . . . and more importantly, a friend . . . to kids who really needed one. Through his deep grief, Dave explained to us that when Mark knew he probably wouldn’t outrun the cancer that had invaded his body, he made sure his estate . . . everything he had to his name . . . would be used to support the mentoring program and disadvantaged kids he so cared for. Forever.

Once in a while you get to be a small part of something . . . or someone . . . very special. I think I’ll send this to my kid brother.


Brenden: "Mark gave me something to look forward to."

Beverly the Philanthropist

Hello, blogging world - Curt Hanson here! I’ve only been with the Initiative Foundation a little over five years. Before coming here, I thought the word “philanthropist” referred to Bill Gates or Paul Newman (you know, the kind of folks who get mentioned for sponsoring PBS programs.) Then I met Beverly.

Well actually . . . we haven’t met in person. In fact, I had quite a few conversations and e-mail exchanges with her attorney before she and I ever corresponded. Beverly lives in Washington (the state), but she’s from central Minnesota. She has fond memories of her home town and, as she is getting along in years, wants to do something good there. So Beverly has created a scholarship at her old high school that will help kids achieve something precious . . . something Beverly wanted very much in her own life, but could not fulfill . . . a college education.

Ever thought of yourself as a “philanthropist?” I don’t think Beverly Pantzke Johnston did. But I’ll bet kids attending Little Falls High School will come to know her that way. And I hope someday they’ll “pay Beverly forward!”