Olivia Hanna
The Community Foundation of North Central Florida announced Friday that The Amazing Give raised a record $1.5 million with some 7,000 donations made during its 2023 online fundraising event.
The event took place on April 20 and benefited 127 participating organizations. The foundation reported donations from 44 states and 46 countries.
The Community Foundation launched The Amazing Give in 2016 as the area’s first online giving day. Since then, the foundation reports The Amazing has raised more than $8.5 million for 245 local nonprofits.
“When we started The Amazing Give, our goals were to organize and energize the generosity of our community in the span of a 24-hour event,” Barzella Papa, the foundation’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “The Amazing Give provided a platform for our local nonprofits to share their incredible work with the world. During the past eight years, we have witnessed local nonprofits developing and perfecting the tools they need to successfully conduct their own online giving campaigns.”
The Community Foundation also announced that 2023 was its last year leading the effort. Effective immediately, the Junior League of Gainesville will organize The Amazing Give.
“The Junior League of Gainesville has been a staple in our community since 1935,” Papa said in her Friday statement. “They have trained thousands of women in our community and supported many social welfare projects. You would be hard to pressed to find a project in our community that hasn’t been touched in some fashion by the Junior League.”
The Junior League of Gainesville is comprised of 300 women members who promote volunteerism and community improvement.
“We are eager to share in the remarkable experiences that await us at the next Amazing Give and look forward to continuing the transformative impact of this event for many Amazing years to come,” Laura Cabrera, the Junior League of Gainesville’s president, said in the press release.
Papa said the Community Foundation will serve as a presenting sponsor in 2024 and provide support during the transition year.
The 2024 Amazing Give will take place 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24. Nonprofit registration will open on February 1, 2024, and all nonprofits need to be verified through the Community Foundation’s Philanthropy Hub prior to registering.
Nonprofits interested in participating in the 2024 Amazing Give can reach out to The Junior League by email.
According to The Amazing Give’s website, the top organizations receiving funds were:
- The Education Foundation of Alachua County, $109,753.32
- The Einstein School, $85,743
- Operation Catnip, $70,649.20
- Hands To Love, $62,506
- Alachua Conservation Trust, $55,060
- Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, $50,948
- Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network, $49,483.75
- Caring and Sharing Learning School, $41,288.83
- Family Promise of Gainesville, Florida, Inc., $40,912
- Veterans Scholarship Program, $39,550
