NH Gives breaks all-time fundraising total for the second year in a row

A record $3.7 million was raised in just 24 hours for New Hampshire nonprofits through NH Gives, an online giving event created by the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits. More than 13,000 generous Granite Staters came together to contribute from 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9.

“Nonprofits are here for us every day, getting the work done that makes our communities better,” said Kathleen Reardon, CEO of the NH Center for Nonprofits. “This was such an amazing demonstration of New Hampshire’s support for them. People gave from every part of the state, in amounts that started at just five dollars. When we all come together like that, we can truly make a difference. A huge ‘thank you’ to every single person who gave.”

This marked the second record record-breaking year for NH Gives. Last year, the event raised $3.37 million — more than it had the previous four years combined. An also-record-breaking 584 nonprofits participated in the event this year.

Matching funds helped to spur donations: the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and its donors contributed $460,000 in matching funds and generous people from around the state contributed more than $1 million in additional matching funds for individual organizations and issue areas. The Charitable Foundation has been the lead sponsor of NH Gives since 2016.

“This event has become a really special moment for New Hampshire to come together to support the organizations that do so much for our communities in challenging times — and that improve our quality of life all the time,” said Kristen Oliveri, vice-president for marketing and communications at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and volunteer co-chair of the NH Gives organizing committee. “The Center for Nonprofits has built incredible momentum with NH Gives, and the Charitable Foundation is proud to be a part of it.”

The event was live-streamed from the studios of NHPBS with hosts, Greg Kretschmar of Greg & the Morning Buzz on 100.3 WHEB, Rock 101-FM, The Hawk 104.9, Q-106, and Frank-FM 107.1; and Scott Spradling, an Emmy Award-winning former reporter, anchor and political director for WMUR-TV.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in NH Gives. New Hampshire relies on nonprofits for essential services and NHPBS is proud to be among them. We were so happy to contribute our studio and production services to this tremendous cause,”  says Peter Frid, NHPBS President and CEO.

During the livestream, Governor Chris Sununu talked about the critical importance of nonprofits to New Hampshire.

“The vast majority of what government does for service is through the nonprofits,” Sununu said. “When we provide mental health services, we’re giving our money and trusting in the nonprofits. When we provide services for opioids and addiction and recovery and alcohol and substance misuse, we are giving it to the nonprofits that lead that charge. It’s not just the State of New Hampshire employees doing all the work — we do a lot of the management and the coordination — but we really lean into those nonprofits. And the vast majority of them just knock it out of the park.”

Manchester Moves, a volunteer organization working to connect the City of Manchester to the rest of the state via rail trails and greenways, was the top online fundraiser during NH Gives, raising just over $57,000 in 24 hours and winning an additional $1,000 “Power of Many” prize in recognition. The organization was established in 2008, but rekindled recently as more people took to local trails and outdoor spaces during the pandemic. It was the first time Manchester Moves had participated in NH Gives.

“NH Gives is a great day to get everybody thinking about how they can play a part,” said Jeremy Hitchcock, chair of the board of Manchester Moves. “We’re really excited about the momentum that we have been able to reestablish” for the efforts to connect Manchester to New Hampshire’s network of trails and open spaces.

More people gave to The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire than to any other organization participating in NH Gives. The Black Heritage Trail, which promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life to build more inclusive communities, exceeded its $45,000 fundraising goal and was awarded a $1,000 “Power of Many” prize for garnering the most unique donors.

“This is an affirmation that people are paying attention and that they are interested and they believe in a more inclusive story about our collective identity, about our community coming together, and that this inclusive telling of our Black history is important,” said JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail. “We are excited and so thankful about this year’s giving, and we are thrilled about the individual unique donor prize — because that makes a statement.”

There is still time to boost the 2021 totals and continue the momentum for New Hampshire nonprofits and communities: Although the 24-hour prize period has ended, NHGives.org will remain open for donations until midnight on Friday, June 16. As of Thursday morning, the giving total was up to more than $3.8 million, with more than 14,000 donors.

NHGives.org is an easy-to-use platform where people can find causes they care about, donate securely, and become fundraising champions. Participating nonprofits also receive training and marketing support in the months leading up to the event.

NH Gives is an initiative of the NH Center for Nonprofits with support from lead sponsor New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and communications partner Brown & Company Design. Additional sponsors include Comcast NBC Universal, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Chase for Business, Consolidated Communications People’s United Bank, Eversource Merrimack County Savings Bank, Century 21 Circa 72 & Thompson Real Estate, First Seacoast Bank, Leader One, NHPBS, Franklin Pierce University, Switcher Studio, Montagne Powers, the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation as well as media sponsors the Granite State News Collaborative, WMUR, the Union Leader, NH Business Review, Montagne Powers, Grappone Automotive and InDepthNH.

UPDATE: When the NH Gives portal closed for 2021 at midnight on June 11, a total of 14,342 people had donated $3,863,379 to 584 New Hampshire nonprofits.

About the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits
The New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits is a statewide nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the impact and visibility of the nonprofit sector and supporting the growth of nonprofits to reach their mission. Its services include leadership development programs, organizational consultation and assessment, online resource-sharing and advocacy. To find out more about the Center, visit www.nhnonprofits.org or call 603-225-1947.

About the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, founded in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire. The Foundation manages a growing collection of 2,000 funds created by generous individuals, families and businesses, and awards more than $50 million in grants and scholarships every year. The Foundation works with generous and visionary citizens to maximize the power of their giving, supports great work happening in our communities and leads and collaborates on high-impact initiatives. For more information, please visit www.nhcf.org or call 603-225-6641.