Updated March 10 at 12:30 p.m.
Community members raised more than $8.5 million for area nonprofits during an annual marathon fundraising campaign, according to a news release.
The fourth annual Amplify Austin did not reach its goal of raising $9 million in the 24-hour period that began 6 p.m. on March 8 and ended 6 p.m. on March 9 but bested last year's total of $7.7 million. However, matching funds and donations are often not reported to I Live Here, I Give Here, which organizes the fundraiser, so the total amount raised could be higher than the reported $8.5 million, according to the release.
“Amplify Austin Day has, once again, brought Central Texans together to support causes that are near and dear to our hearts, and they found some new ones as well,” Celeste Flores, executive director of ILHIGH, said in a statement. “This year, we saw an increase of more than 10 percent in total donations, and more Central Texans participated in Amplify Austin than ever before. We are excited to have surpassed last year’s fundraising event. In doing so, we have also raised awareness of the important services provided by area nonprofits.”
Hospice Austin was among the organizations awarded a grand prize of $5,000 for raising the most dollars between 6 p.m. and midnight. The nonprofit—which provides end-of-life healthcare to the uninsured, those with limited benefits and out-of-pocket expenses because of a lengthy illness—raised $222,894, according to Amplify Austin's website.
The highest individual total was given to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, which received 471 donations totaling $488,270. ILHIGH received the most donations with 9,189 totaling $90,672.
Posted March 8 at 9 a.m.
More than 600 of Central Texas’ nonprofits could be soon receiving a multi-million-dollar boost.
Many organizations in the Greater Austin nonprofit community are taking part in the annual
Amplify Austin fundraiser, which begins March 8 at 6 p.m. and ends March 9 at 6 p.m.
I Live Here I Give Here organizes the citywide day of giving. More than $16.2 million has been raised during Amplify Austin during the past three years, according to ILHIGH.
Its goal this year is to raise $9 million in the 24-hour period.
Celeste Flores, executive director of I Live Here I Give Here, said the 2015 Amplify Austin drive raised $7.7 million for its participating nonprofits.[/caption]
“It’s amazing walking into the fourth campaign with a $9 million goal when a few years ago we were walking into the first with a goal of $1 million,” ILHIGH Executive Director Celeste Flores said.
Flores said having a dedicated day to giving back to local charities has opened new donor pipelines for nonprofits. Of the $7.7 million raised last year, Flores said 40 percent of the gifts were from new donors.
“It really is a testament for this platform being able to increase the capacity of nonprofits,” she said.
In addition to ILHIGH’s goal of $9 million, each nonprofit has a self-selected goal for the Amplify Austin campaign, Flores said. She said it is exciting to see how nonprofits have rallied around their fundraising goals. Visitors to
Amplify Austin’s website can see each participating nonprofit’s stated goal and their progress toward it.
“While we hope to raise $9 million we have a collective goal of much more than that,” she said. “It is really great for the donor to see where a nonprofit is in relation to their goal on Amplify Austin day.”
A first-year participant in Amplify Austin,
Odyssey School has set a goal of $5,000.
The school, located at 4407 Red River St., serves middle and high school students diagnosed with learning disabilities who have average to above-average IQs.
School administrator Caroline Bowers said the $5,000 the school hopes to raise would go toward technology such as laptops provided to each student. The school has a total enrollment of 45 students and keeps a strict student-teacher ratio of eight to one, Bowers said.
She said the school decided to participate in Amplify Austin after hearing about how popular the fundraising marathon has become from others in the nonprofit community.
“Really we just wanted to make our community aware we are here,” she said. “We’re right smack in the middle of Central Texas in Hyde Park, so we’re a resource for families and the community as well as other nonprofits.”
After the 24-hour period of raising funds, Amplify Austin will use funds provided through various sponsorships to proportionally match amounts raised by each nonprofit.
A $5,000 award will be given to each of the four grand prize winners. To receive a grand prize a nonprofit must either raise the most funds before midnight, raise the most funds by a large nonprofit in 24 hours, raise the most funds by a small nonprofit in 24 hours or have the most volunteer fundraisers.
Forty-eight $1,000 prizes will be given hourly to the nonprofit with the most funds raised per hour and the most donors per hour.
Visit
www.amplifyatx.org for more information.
Celeste Flores, executive director of I Live Here I Give Here, said the 2015 Amplify Austin drive raised $7.7 million for its participating nonprofits.[/caption]
“It’s amazing walking into the fourth campaign with a $9 million goal when a few years ago we were walking into the first with a goal of $1 million,” ILHIGH Executive Director Celeste Flores said.
Flores said having a dedicated day to giving back to local charities has opened new donor pipelines for nonprofits. Of the $7.7 million raised last year, Flores said 40 percent of the gifts were from new donors.
“It really is a testament for this platform being able to increase the capacity of nonprofits,” she said.
In addition to ILHIGH’s goal of $9 million, each nonprofit has a self-selected goal for the Amplify Austin campaign, Flores said. She said it is exciting to see how nonprofits have rallied around their fundraising goals. Visitors to Amplify Austin’s website can see each participating nonprofit’s stated goal and their progress toward it.
“While we hope to raise $9 million we have a collective goal of much more than that,” she said. “It is really great for the donor to see where a nonprofit is in relation to their goal on Amplify Austin day.”
A first-year participant in Amplify Austin, Odyssey School has set a goal of $5,000.
The school, located at 4407 Red River St., serves middle and high school students diagnosed with learning disabilities who have average to above-average IQs.
School administrator Caroline Bowers said the $5,000 the school hopes to raise would go toward technology such as laptops provided to each student. The school has a total enrollment of 45 students and keeps a strict student-teacher ratio of eight to one, Bowers said.
She said the school decided to participate in Amplify Austin after hearing about how popular the fundraising marathon has become from others in the nonprofit community.
“Really we just wanted to make our community aware we are here,” she said. “We’re right smack in the middle of Central Texas in Hyde Park, so we’re a resource for families and the community as well as other nonprofits.”
After the 24-hour period of raising funds, Amplify Austin will use funds provided through various sponsorships to proportionally match amounts raised by each nonprofit.
A $5,000 award will be given to each of the four grand prize winners. To receive a grand prize a nonprofit must either raise the most funds before midnight, raise the most funds by a large nonprofit in 24 hours, raise the most funds by a small nonprofit in 24 hours or have the most volunteer fundraisers.
Forty-eight $1,000 prizes will be given hourly to the nonprofit with the most funds raised per hour and the most donors per hour.
Visit www.amplifyatx.org for more information.
