Local Philanthropy Hits a High on Give Miami Day

Fireworks off Key Biscayne Jul. 4. The annual Independence Day parade is one of the beneficiaries of funds raised on Give Miami Day. (Tony Winton via Key News)

What do you do just before Thanksgiving if you live on an island paradise? Give back, said Key Biscayne philanthropists, as they rallied for a record Give Miami Day 2019 on Nov. 21. 

Now in its seventh year, the 24-hour event organized by the Miami Foundation raised $14.5 million, with Key Biscayne-related causes netting at least $160,000. 

Give Miami Day is one of the nation’s biggest giving drives, providing would-be contributors a chance to browse hundreds of local nonprofits and donate directly to as many as they like.

The Key Biscayne Community Foundation highlighted 12 donor projects this year, receiving $122,602 from 483 people, a 34 percent increase on 2018. The largest amount ($48,486) was for ICU Baby, a cause which helps families with the expenses and practicalities of having a premature baby in long-term intensive care. 

Other notable wins under the Foundation were for youth-focused projects such as Youth Lead Change, founded by resident Patricia Woodson, with $5,070, and the fund behind Kindness in the Schools, which garnered $5,227 in its first showing. Local Manny Rionda’s Fill-A-Bag, a beach cleanup operation, also attracted $4,795 from 58 donors. 

A particular Key success story was Christina Bracken’s nonprofit GoVoteMiami which surpassed its initial first-year goal of $3,000 (increased to $5,000 during the day), eventually clearing $10,000. Bracken was a newcomer to Give Miami Day, but a heartfelt personal push on social media earned 72 donors.

Christina Bracken (far right) with some of the 150 Miami-Dade Public Library System employees recently trained in voter registration by her nonprofit GoVoteMiami (Christina Bracken via Key News)

Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, a longtime Key resident whose family fund has been a sponsor of the Give Miami Day bonus pool at the Miami Foundation since 2012, said she saw a real-time example of how the event’s unique platform connects humanitarians with the issues they care about. 

“A friend searched the site specifically for voter registration causes and – without a connection to Christina – found GoVoteMiami,” said Stearns Buttrick.

Over 800 organizations received donations from 39,922 contributors this year. The $14.5 million is a hefty 26-percent increase on 2018, itself a record-topper. 

Stearns Buttrick said the day was “tremendously successful” in Key Biscayne. 

“It was an excellent result for a community of our size,” she said, “and an outstanding show of support for these smaller organizations.”

On Give Miami Day Stearns Buttrick allows herself to be glued to Twitter and Facebook. 

“It’s really great to see the organizations utilizing the platform and taking advantage of it,” she said. “Many even shut down the donate button on their website and drive all traffic to the Give Miami Day site, so they have the opportunity to receive matching funds.” 

The ‘bonus pool’ mechanism, she explained, allows sponsor funds like the Buttricks’ to help the Miami Foundation offer matching (or even doubling or tripling) of pledges during the 24 hours. Individuals also had the option to donate to the pool, which was spread across all nonprofits.

Some organizations got creative, allowing patrons to complete pledge forms before the big day.

One big upshot for the 834 organizations that participated is that they receive all the funds pledged to them, without the hassle and cost of putting on their own fundraising events or drives. The bonus pool also covers credit card fees – another win for the charities.

“The Miami Foundation is a community foundation – they exist to support the work of other nonprofits.” explained Stearns Buttrick. “It is a prime example of how to maximize dollars through limited administrative expenses.”

Island Media thanks its donors for their contributions on Give Miami Day 2019.