ArkansasGives, a one-day online giving event by the Arkansas Community Foundation that provides a 12-hour period of donations for Arkansas nonprofits, will close after the final event Thursday, April 6, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is the third and final year of the event, which was created to promote online giving and local nonprofits at a time other than the end of the year.
“The goal that we set for ourselves three years ago was to make online giving and nonprofits stronger, and we believe we have achieved that goal,” Jessica Szenher, communications consultant for ArkasnasGives, said. “It was never meant to be an annual event. It was meant to achieve the goals that we set.”
ArkasnasGives has provided tools for nonprofits including information packets and webinars that teach about online promoting. The event has raised more than $5 billion since it began in 2015 and aims to raise $5 billion more during the final event. Searcy nonprofits benefitted include Jacob’s Place, The Mission Machine, Main Street Searcy and Searcy Children’s Home.
The Sunshine School, a local education center that serves students with developmental disabilities, received approximately $5,000 in 2016 that enabled them to get more school supplies and literature that benefit the students’ education. Charity Morris, secretary for the Sunshine School, said the school uses funds to improve students’ education, therapy, and to provide technology.
“Any money that we get helps us out because we are a nonprofit organization, and we operate on such a low, low, budget anyways — we just get by by the skin of our teeth — so any extra money that comes in by any of the wonderful donors in our community makes a huge difference,” Morris said. “There are so many things we might get to get because of the extra money that we might get through Arkansas Gives.”
For more information or to donate, visit ArkansasGives.org.
