| Nonprofits rally donors for online matching fund day |
By: JIM HAMMERAND, Staff Writer
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Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009 2:46 am
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NORTHFIELD — Tuesday will mean different things to local organizations angling for a share of a half-million dollars matching charitable contributions statewide.
For the Northfield Union of Youth, the additional contributions could mean more field trips for members. Habitat for Humanity could build more houses. Another group said it could move more mountain sheep closer to Northfield.
Local nonprofits and their counterparts across the state are asking contributors to take advantage of up to $500,000 in matching funds pledged toward donations made from midnight to midnight on Tuesday through givemn.org.
The matching funds were initially announced at 50 cents on the dollar until the fund was exhausted, but GiveMN Executive Director Dana Nelson recently announced new guidelines after donors jammed up the Web site of an online match day late last month and gave more than $1 million in less than 22 minutes.
Instead, the $500,000 will be divided among the nonprofits proportionate to how much each raised, she said.
The Northfield Union of Youth is one of dozens of local eligible nonprofits. Josh Wood, that group’s president, said even small donations help the organization continue operations.
He said $50 pays for a month of Internet access; $100 gets a month’s worth of gas and power.
“Everything counts. Even a dollar counts. People might not donate because they don’t have a lot to donate, but it really adds up,” he said.
The Minnesota-Wisconsin chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, based in Northfield, is also listed on GiveMN. The 400-member group is like a Ducks Unlimited for woolen game, said local director Patti Murry.
The group has raised as much as $400,000 annually in recent years through dues and an annual fundraiser, and relocates wild sheep to hunting grounds closer to its membership.
“Our slogan is we raise money so we can put sheep on the mountains, so we would be able to put more sheep on the mountains,” Murry said.
Gina Franklin, development director for Rice County Habitat for Humanity, encouraged new and regular contributors to take advantage of what she called “a convenient and seamless way to donate.”
Women in Northfield Giving Support has never been able to raise money online before being listed with GiveMN, Board President Nancy Carlson said. She compared giving at the new site to the ease of paying bills online, and stressed the importance of charitable giving.
“There are a lot of people out there that have needs that they can’t meet financially on their own. There are a lot of us that have capabilities for reaching out and helping those people. That’s very important for everybody to do, to help other people. It makes our community stronger,” she said.
HOW TO GIVE
1. Go to givemn.org.
2. Search for “Northfield” in the Donate box.
3. Choose a non-profit to which to donate.
4. Provide credit card information.
— Jim Hammerand covers the city. He can be reached at jhammerand@northfieldnews.com or 645-1114. |
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