Co-chairs Julie Porter and Molly Watson
It’s Philanthropy Week, and what better way to celebrate! On Tuesday afternoon, the Community Foundation hosted an outdoor celebration of community philanthropy with nonprofits at the American Pavilion at Veterans Park in College Station as it celebrated the success of its recent Brazos Valley Gives Day.
During the celebration, $98,500 in prizes and additional grants were awarded to nonprofits that participated in Brazos Valley Gives. Brazos Valley Gives was held on Oct. 27, with 136 nonprofits participating from six of the seven Brazos Valley counties. The grand total for this year’s giving day campaign was $794,573 and represented 3,661 donations to all 136 organizations. In addition to monetary support, 307 individuals pledged over 12,300 hours of volunteer support. This year’s giving day represents a two-fold increase over last year’s giving day total of $363,686.
This year, Stylecraft and Tom Light Chevrolet partnered to present Brazos Valley Gives to our community. Bryan Broadcasting, KBTX, The Eagle, Insite, Brenham Banner Press, KEOS, KTEX, KWHI, Lamar Advertising, the Bryan/College Station and Washington County Chambers of Commerce, and David Gardner’s Jewelers ensured the community was ready for the big day, which supported 136 nonprofits from across the seven-county region.
This year, more than 230 individuals and businesses hosted online Brazos Valley Gives peer fundraisers to support their favorite participating nonprofit.
“Our second annual giving day empowered donors across our region to give where they live. Brazos Valley Gives day was successful because our community came together as one to support our nonprofits” says Molly Watson, co-chair.
“This year has been especially difficult for our nonprofit community, as many of their annual fundraisers were cancelled. As a result, the needs were greater than ever,” says Julie Porter, co-chair.
Brazos Valley Gives is 18 hours of online giving that brings the region together on one day and as one community to raise critical funding and awareness for nonprofit organizations throughout the Brazos Valley. Powered by the Community Foundation, Brazos Valley Gives provides citizens and businesses an easy platform to support the mission and “good works” of local nonprofit organizations that serve the Brazos Valley. Nonprofits from throughout the Brazos Valley—six of the seven counties—participated as well. The big day began at 5am and ended at 11pm.
The Community Foundation welcomes new nonprofits to join giving day that will be held annually on the third Tuesday of October. “We invite everyone to come alongside us next October 2021 for Brazos Valley Gives as we continue supporting this collaborative effort. With your support, we will increase public awareness of the community impact made by local nonprofits, bring donors and nonprofits together, connect people to the causes they care about most, and celebrate philanthropy,” says Patricia Gerling, Foundation president/CEO.
To learn more about Brazos Valley Gives and see a list of the nonprofit participants and giving data, visit brazosvalleygives.org. If you are a local citizen or business interested in sponsoring Brazos Valley Gives in the future, call Patricia Gerling, president/CEO of the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley at (979) 589-4305 or send an email to brazosvalleygives@gmail.com.
