Give Miami Day 2019 Expects To Raise Millions For Area Charities

MIAMI – Thursday marks the 8th annual Give Miami Day, a fundraising spectacle where more than 800 nonprofits vie for millions in South Florida contributions.

"Give Miami Day is a 24-hour online giving event, where for 24 hours on Thursday, Nov. 21 ... anyone can go to GiveMiamiDay.org, search through one of over 800 organizations and find a nonprofit you support that works on a cause that they care about," declared Matthew Beatty of the Miami Foundation.

The Miami Foundation and its partners — including the Knight Foundation and William R. Watts Foundation — will make a bonus gift for every donation raised, which makes the event unique.

"Give Miami Day is one of those efforts that abide by the concept of rising tides lift all boats," Beatty explained. "I think everyone who participates understands that when one or two of us do better, everyone does better."

Last year's event raised 33,064 separate gifts totaling $11.6 million, more than in any of the six previous years.

Beatty likens Give Miami Day to the Super Bowl of giving.

"Over the years, organizations have seen the power of Give Miami Day as a way to raise unrestricted dollars to support the bottom-line operations of the organization," Beatty told Patch. "They understand it's important to have that kind of flexible funding and to be able to do it on a day when the shared experience adds and enhances the engagement of donors."

Some nonprofits now plan their entire calendar around Give Miami Day.

"This day is about the nonprofits individually, but also us as a community collectively, stepping up to support these organizations and insuring that the causes that they work on are advanced," Beatty asserted. "I think everyone just wants to insure that the day is successful."

The first event began with 300 nonprofits and brought in total donations of $1.2 million.

"We thought that was all the money in the world," Beatty recalled. "Give Miami Day no longer even belongs to just the Miami Foundation. This community has taken ownership of it and that's what really makes it click."

He said the success of the event doesn't depend on any one single organization or one community.

"It's the sum total of all these individuals and organizations working together that really make it happen," he explained.

Every participating nonprofit is vetted to make sure they are in good standing in Miami-Dade County prior to the event.

But with so many nonprofits around the Miami area, some people have difficulty deciding where to send their donations.

"If you are unsure about what organization to support, the beauty of the GiveMiamiDay.org website is that it is organized by issue area as well," Beatty said. " If you want to support an organization working on homelessness, or supporting affordability solutions, or working on transportation solutions, you can search through the hundreds of organizations based on the issue you care about and then find an organization that resonates with you."

He said the website also suggests similar organizations that donors might want to consider as they complete their online gift.

"It's a great way to find new organizations that you may not have known about, but also just to see all the different ways in which you can address an issue that you care about through these organizations," Beatty said.

Over time, the site even learns donor patterns.

"The technology really allows this to be a personalized experience for each donor which again allows them to really understand what it means to be a meaningful philanthropist and to really step up and champion a cause," he said.

Other cities have tried similar approaches but not all of have been successful.

"It's designed for a city like Miami where we don't have a ton of traditional philanthropy because we don't have a lot of old family wealth here," Beatty observed. "We do have generous individuals who are willing to give $50, $100, $250.

"When we all decide to do that together then we're able to invest $47 million across seven different Give Miami Days over the last eight or so years," he added.

Patch compiled a list of the 100 charities around Miami that took in the greatest number of single donations during last year's Give Miami Day.

These weren't necessarily the charities that raised the most money. Other organizations that did not make the list may have raised larger — but fewer — donations.

All of the organizations on our list represent local nonprofits covering a wide spectrum of interests from arts and housing to science and technology.

The following organizations made the top 100 last year: