AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Texas nonprofits celebrate a record-breaking $37.3 million raised in the 18-hour North Texas Giving Day, hosted by Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) and powered by Kimbia, a leading provider of online fundraising solutions and crowdfunding events. The eighth annual North Texas Giving Day took place on Sept. 22 and raised $4.2 million more than last year's event. This marks the fifth year in a row that North Texas Giving Day shattered the record for the most money ever raised in the United States during a single-day online crowdfunding event. As in previous events, a significant portion—34 percent—of donations were from first-time donors.
By the numbers, this event boasts a remarkable track record, having raised over $156 million in just eight years since 2009; each year both the dollars raised and the number of gifts received have grown significantly. When CFT launched the event in 2009 $4 million was raised from approximately 6,500 gifts. This year, 142,887 gifts were received, over 15 times the number of gifts received in 2009.
"We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the generosity of the North Texas community. Thank you to all of the donors, partners, nonprofits and volunteers who make this event possible," said Susan Swan Smith, chief relationship officer of Communities Foundation of Texas and North Texas Giving Day Team Lead. "For the last five years, Kimbia has been a crucial partner helping us deliver North Texas Giving Day."
This event has had a huge impact on the people of Dallas, Fort Worth and the surrounding areas, as more nonprofits have received funding each year. This year each one of the 2,518 participating nonprofits received donations from nearly 82,000 unique donors. One donor even gave to 236 organizations in a single donation!
"Communities Foundation of Texas is a Giving Day pioneer. The unbelievable success they have seen during North Texas Giving Day is something that communities across America should look towards and learn from," said Kimbia VP of Community Giving Lori Finch. "Eight years later, they are still setting new records, recruiting new donors, and supporting even more nonprofits. Their efforts provide critical funding to the North Texas community year after year. It's truly inspirational."
Presenting North Texas Giving Day is one of the many ways Communities Foundation of Texas serves as a hub for philanthropy in North Texas. As the largest community foundation in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, CFT works to strengthen the community through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. The foundation professionally manages more than 900 charitable funds for families, companies, foundations and nonprofits and has awarded more than $1.6 billion in grants since its founding in 1953. For more information visit www.cftexas.org.
About Kimbia: Kimbia is an online fundraising, crowdfunding, and event platform provider for nonprofits, higher education, and community foundations, serving thousands of charitable organizations across the globe. The company's flexible online fundraising and crowdfunding event solutions enable nonprofit organizations to create a deeper donor relationship by focusing on the donor experience to drive action and conversion. For more information visit www.kimbia.com.