By: Dan Copp, HoumaToday.com
Nonprofit organizations in Terrebonne and Lafourche raised nearly $65,000 as part of GiveNOLA Day on Tuesday, organizers said.
Fifty-five local nonprofit organizations received a total of $64,536 in donations as part of the fifth annual 24-hour online giving campaign hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Lafourche Parish had 28 participating nonprofits, which generated $20,130 in online gifts. A total of $44,406 was donated to Terrebonne nonprofits during the fundraiser, which lasted from midnight to midnight Tuesday, the Bayou Community Foundation said.
“It is so exciting to see our local communities come together as one to support the work of our amazing nonprofits for Give Bayou,” Bayou Community Foundation coordinator Jennifer Armand said today. “Our local residents truly opened their hearts and their wallets on this special giving day, and we are grateful for their generosity.”
Formed in 2012, the Houma-based Bayou Community Foundation provides support to local nonprofits.
An estimated $5.5 million was raised in New Orleans by 765 participating organizations from 48,795 donations, preliminary estimates show.
The Bayou Community Foundation not only participated in GiveNOLA Day but also coordinated a “Give Bayou” campaign to promote all of the area nonprofits that were participating in the event, Armand said.
“We often say that giving makes great things happen, and I know that with this $65,000 in gifts, our donors and local nonprofits will make a huge impact on our community, address some of our biggest needs and strengthen our entire region.” Armand said.
The Bayou Community Foundation netted $6,500 in donations on Tuesday, which will go toward grants to local nonprofits this summer as part of the foundation’s annual competitive grants program, Armand said.
In addition to online donations, three local nonprofits also won prizes on Tuesday, Armand said. Bayou Grace Community Services, the Lafourche Education Foundation and Communities that Care of Lockport were each randomly selected to receive $1,000 “Rock Around the Clock” cash prizes.
The South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, which was one of 27 Terrebonne organizations that participated, generated $2,359 worth of donations.
“We do a little bit better each year because more and more people become aware of GiveNOLA Day,” said Jonathan Foret, executive director of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center. “We’ve been involved since the campaign began.”
Although a website crash hampered the crowdfunding event two years ago, this year’s campaign went off without a hitch, Foret said.
“It’s a problem when the system crashed, but that also means so many people were getting online to make donations which the website couldn’t handle,” Foret said. “That says something about our community. This year it went very smoothly and we’re looking forward to participating next year.”