Give Miami Day opens with new ideas to help you help Miami nonprofits during pandemic
Miami’s largest online giving campaign, Give Miami Day, is about to close its first decade on Thursday at perhaps the most critical juncture in South Florida’s philanthropic history.
Nonprofits serving Miami-Dade are struggling to raise funds even as residents rely heavily on their services to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, which, since March, has led institutions to halt productions or events that bring in revenue.
Some, like theaters and museums, have gotten creative by going virtual. But it’s not nearly the same. And as some reopen, they do so under restrictions that limit audience size and, hence, revenue opportunities.
As COVID-19 cases surge again in South Florida and across the state, the pandemic has made 2020 unlike any other year, especially for nonprofit organizations on the front lines of serving Greater Miami.
Feeding South Florida, for instance, distributed 119 million pounds of food in its fiscal year that ended in June, including 60 million pounds from March to June alone. That’s nearly double the 61.5 million pounds of food it gave out the previous year in South Florida.
“Nonprofits have stepped up this year in the face of tremendous hardship and on Give Miami Day, we need to step up for them,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation, which created and oversees Give Miami Day.
“We hope everyone who calls Greater Miami home will join in and donate to a cause they believe in,” she said. “There are 900 nonprofits participating, leveraging this year’s Early Giving, a million-dollar Bonus Pool, and Champion Pages to raise the funds they need to keep our community strong.”
A different Give Miami Day
To help Miami’s nonprofit community, The Miami Foundation has tweaked some aspects of its ninth annual event. Instead of waiting until Thursday, Nov. 19, donors will be able to make gifts prior to the traditional Give Miami Day.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 16, donors can go to GiveMiamiDay.org, look over the 900 or so Miami-Dade organizations to support, and make an early gift.
Early Giving will run through 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 18. Give Miami Day will begin at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 19 and run through 11:59 p.m.
The foundation is also enhancing Give Miami Day by introducing “Power Hours.” This new feature spotlights specific causes and organizations. Every hour from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, the foundation will raise topical issues on its digital media platforms, like racial equity, food and housing insecurity and economic development.
Making it easier for donors
The idea? To “make it easy for donors who care about a specific cause to find and support organizations doing the hard work to address it,” according to the Miami Foundation. “Power Hours” will be partially matched from sponsor-funded bonus pools so the traditional money match to Give Miami Day exists here, too.
The initiatives are aimed at encouraging giving from new audiences, a central goal this year, according to the foundation.
“Our local nonprofits have faced immense hardship this year, navigating decreased fundraising revenues and exponentially increased need in the community. Still, they’ve stepped up to care for our residents, and [we] are leveraging the Early Giving period, promotional Power Hours spotlighting their causes and personalized Champion Pages for donors to make this the biggest Give Miami Day ever,” Fishman Lipsey said.
How COVID impacts nonprofits
That financial help to beneficiaries like Feeding South Florida, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, The Children’s Movement of Florida, Miami Herald Charities’ Wish Book and hundreds of others is especially appreciated.
The Herald is launching Wish Book on Thursday during Give Miami Day. The nonprofit project has been helping South Florida’s neediest families for nearly 40 years.
Last year, Wish Book raised more than $350,000 in cash and in-kind donations, helping more than 750 people, said Wish Book coordinator Roberta DiPietro. This year, the needs are even greater, she noted.
The needs are great at many other nonprofits across South Florida this year, due to the pandemic.
“Our industry has been drastically affected by COVID-19, and we need the community’s help now more than ever to keep the spotlights on a bright future,” said Actors’ Playhouse Executive Producing Director Barbara Stein.
“Our company has lost over $2.5 million in revenue since the shutdown, and we had to reduce our staff by 60% to maintain operations,” Stein said. “Your Give Miami Day 2020 contributions will help us begin to reopen the Miracle Theatre to smaller, socially distanced houses through our youth programming while continuing to provide the community with exciting virtual offerings that they can enjoy from home until we can once again present our Mainstage productions.”
“We need your help, now more than ever,” the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science added in an email blast to its supporters. The Miami institution noted some of its COVID-era pivots like the Frost Science@Home digital learning platform.
“Science is important and we know that Frost Science serves as a respite for the public during these trying times. While the ongoing challenges may seem insurmountable, we know we can get through this with the support of you, our community,” Frost reps said.
Donors set a high bar in 2019
Give Miami Day 2019 raised more than $14.4 million for 834 nonprofit organizations in 2019 — breaking the record haul of $11.5 million set a year earlier in 2018.
Last year’s campaign received 39,922 donations, helping the philanthropic event top $61 million for local organizations since its inception in 2012.
So this year — like the nonprofits have done — the Miami Foundation, in partnership, had to think creatively to promote Give Miami Day 2020. Many events are going virtual to bring artistic performances into your living rooms, along with “thought-provoking conversations and even dance parties to thousands more residents than in years past,” Fishman Lipsey said.
“We’re confident that Miami-Dade is pumped and ready to pour back into these critical nonprofits that have given us so much in this difficult year.”
Bring it on, Miami-Dade.
How you can give
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What: Give Miami Day 2020
When: 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Thursday
How many nonprofits? Over 900
How much can you donate? Minimum is $25
How: Visit givemiamiday.org
Gifts can be made through a bank account, credit or qualified gift card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express) or through a Donor Advised Fund at The Miami Foundation.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
