Foundation for Roanoke Valley concentrates much of its efforts on helping individuals and families establish permanent charitable legacies through named endowment funds. Those funds now number 318, with assets totaling $62 million. However, there is another part of the Foundation’s mission: to provide opportunities to strengthen local non-profits beyond the community foundation’s annual grants programs. It is this objective that led to the creation of Roanoke Valley Gives.
Long-time associate director Carly Oliver, presented the concept of a 24-hour, community-wide, on-line giving day for local non-profits to fellow staff members in a June 2015 staff planning retreat. The idea was based on successful programs held by other community foundations throughout the country. The Foundation’s Board enthusiastically embraced the idea, and staff began to design and implement the community-wide event. “Click and Pledge” of Christiansburg was chosen as the software platform for the day.
The Foundation set forth three goals for the event. The first was to secure a pool of matching incentive grant funds totaling $50,000 through local sponsors. Within a day of announcing that goal, Poe & Cronk Real Estate Group stepped forward as the Platinum Sponsor, followed soon after by Hometown Bank and Advance Auto Parts as Gold Sponsors. Numerous other corporations and donors became Silver, Bronze, and Golden Ticket Sponsors for the day. Goal One achieved.
The Foundation’s second goal was to have 50 non-profits participate. The final number of organizations that took advantage of this opportunity was 125. Goal Two exceeded. The third goal for Roanoke Valley Gives was to raise a cumulative total of $150,000 for the local nonprofits during the 24-hour day of March 16. The generosity of the community shown through, with over $366,000 contributed. Goal Three smashed.
On Tuesday, March 22, the Foundation held the awards ceremony for the winners of the major incentive grants.
The Rescue Mission of Roanoke received a $10,000 grant for most dollars raised, with $56,175. The Roanoke Valley SPCA received a $10,000 grant for the most number of unique donors, with 322. Roanoke Catholic School received two grants of $5,000 each for raising $38,200 and having 302 unique donors. Pathfinders for Greenways, Inc. received two grants of $2,500 each for raising $19,193 and having 263 unique donors. And Roanoke Outdoors and Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center each received $1,250 for their efforts.
An analysis of the giving day showed 4,262 total gifts from 4,107 donors. Three gifts of $10,000 or more were made, with 8 gifts between $5,000-$9,999, 38 gifts between $1,000-$4,999, 89 gifts between $500-$999, 169 gifts between $200-499, 662 gifts between $100-$199, and 662 gifts between $10-$99. The overall average gift was $86.00
Foundation for Roanoke Valley will continue its focus on building long-term endowment resources for the community, but it plans to hold Roanoke Valley Gives again in 2017 with even bigger goals. For more information on the community foundation, visit www.foundationforroanokevalley.org.
