Golden Tickets and Matched Donations During Give to the Max
“We are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves, if only because we are the only sentient force which can change it.”
- James Baldwin
The Creation of Give to the Max Day
In 2009, the Minnesota Community Foundation partnered with a few organizations to test the waters on whether there was an appetite for “retail” philanthropy. The goal was to make “giving” easier for “regular” everyday kind of people. GiveMN was created to help move the initiative forward.GiveMN came up with a fun slogan “Give to the Max Day” and created a website that would accept donations for community nonprofit organizations and schools with the goal of creating buzz on a dedicated date prior to the start of the holiday season.Much to their surprise, they raised $14 million in 24 hours that year!Since then, over one hundred million dollars has been raised for worthy organizations across our community. Additionally, GiveMN has expanded their capacity to enable charitable giving year round.
Supporting Life-Changing Programs at YWCA
This year, Give to the Max Day is November 16, 2017. YWCA Minneapolis is stepping up our game in an effort to maximize the support for all of the high-quality programs our youth and families need from our organization.Our afterschool programs inspire youth to stay in school, excel in their classes, graduate from high school and reach their full potential by attending college.A couple days ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle, an impressive young woman who completed YWCA’s Resolution and Prevention (RAP) program and is now participating in our Girls, Inc. Afterschool program. Michelle brought tears to my eyes as she shared her story about the impact our programs have had in her life; bringing her hope and confidence and paving the path to college. There are hundreds more “Michelles” who need access to our programs.
Matching Donations and Golden Tickets!
Soon, you can expect to see our employees wearing “Ask Me About Give to the Max Day” stickers to encourage a conversation about the importance of making a contribution. Although the “official day” is November 16, donations received from November 1 – 15 will count toward our total funds raised for Give to the Max Day.If you’re wondering why it’s important to raise funds during this time period, prizes will be given out to the organizations everyday leading up to November 16 as well as every hour that day. There are Golden Tickets and Super-Sized Golden Tickets of up to $10,000 we’re competing for! We also have matching funds through the generosity of Wells Fargo, Salo LLC, RJM Construction and the GenYWCA Legacy Fund, so we’re able to double many donations.
Here’s how you can help:
1) Donate to YWCA’s Give to the Max page2) Share our page with your friends on social media and ask if they’d like to contribute3) Participate in our Give to the Max Day events:
Cycle to the Max
We are hosting Cycle to the Max at YWCA Uptown on November 16. Participants can register for a 1-hour session and their donation will support YWCA Minneapolis. We’ll have 90 indoor cycle bikes – or participants can cycle outdoors and still participate. There’ll be raffle prizes, food, refreshments, a 6 –month membership Grand Prize and… lots of energy!
Happy Hour Celebration
After cycling, participants can join GenYWCA members at Utepils Brewing from 4:00 – 7:00 for a happy hour and giving event. The event will include door prizes, a silent auction with goods and services donated by local businesses and the opportunity to meet with others working toward our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and girls.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your commitment and support of our mission. Let’s join together in our common vision for peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people!