Contributed Photo
The Community Foundation crew.
New Haven’s annual “Great Give” overcame a nationwide computer glitch to collect $1.4 million for local not-for-profits.
Paul Bass Photo
“Great Give” staffer Stephanie Chung offering update on WNHH’s radiothon.
The 36-hour event last week— in which over 400 organizations raised money through a Community Foundation for Greater New Haven platform and competed for $190,000 in prizes — ended up stretching 52 hours because the platform slowed to a crawl for awhile. That happened because of one company was serving dozens of such events throughout the country and failed to keep up with the demand.
Rather than shut down during hte slowdown, the New Haven foundation extended it once the donation platform was functioning well again. The move paid off: The seven-year-old event broke a record with its $1.4 million in 11,600 gifts from 8,130 donors.
“Three Grand Prizes were awarded to the nonprofits that attracted the greatest number of new donors ($10,000 to Music Haven; $5,000 to Elm City Internationals; $3,000 to Squash Haven) and the greatest number of donors ($15,000 to New Haven Land Trust; $5,000 to Center Stage Theater; $3,000 IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services),” the Community Foundation reported in this press release.
Over 40 participating groups also sang or recited poetry to pitch their causes on WNHH radio as part of a 36-hour radiothon/webcast. The videos embedded in this story capture some of the performances; find more of them here, here, here, here, and here.
Community Foundation CEO Will Ginsberg wrote a poem for the occasion.