Do More 24 Gives Washington Area Charities A One Day Boost

The organized giving campaign, Do More 24, came together on June 19 to raise over 1.1 million dollars for Washington charities. The charity is a region-wide organization that attempts to raise as much money as possible within a 24 hour time frame, the Washington Post reports. Donors went online to the DoMore24.org website to donate to their favorite charity before the stoke of midnight. According to Do More 24, 11,358 gifts were made on their site for various charities with the allotted time period. Charities bringing in the most of donations were eligible for additional award money of up to $15,000. The results of the fund raising competition are still pending.

Do More 24, in its second year, is organized by the United Way of the National Capital Area. In 2013, the event raised $1.3 million for 551 local charities and nonprofits. The 2014 event includes 568 nonprofits including organizations that benefit healthcare distribution, animals rights, social services and the arts.

Sequestration and the shutdown of the federal government last year cut off a good deal of grant money that might have gone to helping these nonprofits. This is why this year’s event was so important, organizers say. Many charities are ran special campaigns on social media in order to draw attention to the Do More 24 pledge drive. While the average from the 2013 event only netted an average of $1,700 per charity, the real advantage was the increased brand recognition and the attraction of new supporters. To learn more about this event, visit their website at DoMore24.org. To read more about annual giving days, read the article in the Washington Post.