MONTGOMERY – The Earth Angels Believe Foundation used a superhero campaign to attract donors for its Hudson Valley Gives campaign this week.
Leadership Orange asked alumni to make phone calls for donations and Victory Hill Therapeutic Horsemanship provided an intimate look at its farm to attract interest. Once again, the Hudson Valley Gives fundraiser was a success and each year participants seem to become more and more creative with their campaigns.
As of Friday afternoon, Hudson Valley Gives raised $751,310, which organizer Elizabeth Rowley said is a tribute to the many nonprofit organizations who are so passionate about generating funds for institutions they care about.
“I think what elevated the success is some great engagements from the nonprofits,” said Rowley, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS). “They got the word out to a bigger network and did a lot of peer-to-peer fundraising, asking friends and neighbors to donate. It kicked us into high gear. Amazingly, we can continue to build on years prior. Our organizations continue to get smarter and savvier.”
The CFOS started Hudson Valley Gives to provide organizations with a unique opportunity to reach online donors and raise awareness about their missions and causes. The 24-hour event, driven by social media, was held on Wednesday with organizations in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, and Westchester counties participating for the last nine years.
Approximately 206 organizations participated with an average donation of $115 and 4,638 total donors. Seventy nonprofits raised $143,000 in the first year of Hudson Valley Gives. In 2023, the fundraiser generated $704,288 for 197 local nonprofits. This year, Walden Savings Bank President and CEO Derrik Wynkoop and Gary Siegel, President of CD Trips, LLC were honored with the Good Samaritan award for donating to 50 nonprofits. For their efforts, both were awarded $750 from Hudson Valley Gives to donate to a nonprofit of their choice.
“Our athletes and volunteers committed to doing that and together with the Community Foundation in their brilliance, we and so many remarkable causes helped to raise a staggering amount of dollars in a fun way that enables broader impact,” said Stefanie Kostenblatt, Executive Director Beautiful People, Inc., a non-profit offering adaptive sports for children and young adults with disabilities in Orange County. “It was an incredibly successful day for us and we’re excited to focus on what we’re here to do – programs and engagement for our athletes and in partnership with the greater community.”
