Be The Seed | Five dollars can be the beginning of a relationship!

Five dollars can be the beginning of a relationship. Building relationships within our community is just as important as receiving a financial gift. Every nonprofit relies on people joining in the mission, becoming part of a community as a volunteer, a donor, or both.

#TheGreatGive06492 is the coming together of several Wallingford nonprofits, who collaborate throughout the year, in an annual community-centric fundraiser and ‘get-to-know-us better’ experience.

May 3 & 4 Greater New Haven 36-hour online giving event

The Great Give, hosted by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven (CFGNH), in its 14th year, is designed to raise both visibility of, and resources for, local nonprofits. The online event begins at 8 a.m. May 3rd & ends at 8 p.m. May 4th. When over 500 nonprofits are asking for support at the same time, it can feel competitive. That is not a welcome feeling when you regularly work with other nonprofits seeking help. This is why in a regular meeting of the Wallingford Resource Alliance of Wallingford & Meriden nonprofits, the idea of fundraising collectively was embraced by several nonprofits who work together often.

This idea was floated.

“If we come together to raise individual donor contributions, maybe it will shed light on the fact that we are often serving the same people in our community; that we work together from our within our missions to serve the whole person or family in need.”

Individual donations have several roles in sustaining nonprofits. They can provide a cushion for basic programs, be matching funds for foundation grants, or enable special programs. Every organization needs a few thousand dollars of undesignated funds to handle the unpredictable such as take-out containers for food when covid makes restaurant style impossible at Master’s Manna.

What makes #TheGreatGive06492 in Wallingford different?

There are a few differences but the most important is our ‘coming together’ message. We encourage everyone to give to all participating nonprofits. It helps to reinforce the idea of community and amplifies that aspect of our work throughout the year. If grassroots contributors connect with this idea annually, we can thrive together. Three donors who give at least $5 to each of the nonprofits, a commitment of $55, will be eligible for a random drawing for swag bags valued at $100 plus. Included are a ‘Passionately Pasta’ gift card, an ARCY Tiger Mural Design flash drive, and other fun items that will make you feel part of our community.

Coming together as donors during Happy Hour 5-7 p.m. on both Wed & Thursday increases the chances of a Wallingford nonprofit winning a random drawing of an additional $1,000. There are other random prizes throughout the event. Donations during breakfast (8-9 a.m.) or lunch (Noon to 2 p.m.) increase random prize chances. This is how Rotarians are participating in addition to helping with the matching fund.

Another community aspect of #TheGreatGive06492 is $10,000 in matching funds used to encourage new donations. All new donations will yield a pro-rated match from this pool of dollars from James H Napier Foundation, Allnex, Wallingford Rotary, and an anonymous donor.

Kick-off Le’Mixx Band at studioW (TV, Streaming, and Guests)

On Sunday, April 30th at 6 p.m. a “Raise the Curtain on our Community” concert featuring Le’Mixx will kick off the giving campaign. If you miss the LIVE from studioW at WPAA-TV concert, a recording will play during the Bank of America Power Hour for Art on Wednesday, May 3rd at 8 p.m. with stories and thanks from our participating nonprofits. Donations received on Wednesday from 8-9 p.m. will fund free community concerts at WPAA-TV in 2023. This concert is courtesy of CT Humanities Cultural Fund Grant awarded to WPAA-TV for capacity building and community outreach. If you are not a new WPAA-TV donor, this would be a good time to give, to help achieve matching funds.