PROVIDENCE – Melissa Guillet knows full well how to help the community discover itself.
At Johnston-based nonprofit 15 Minute Field Trips, Guillet – the organization’s creative director – offers children across the state hands-on education programs that intersect art with the natural world. The organization brings pop-up museums and exploration tables to the classroom, and also offers guided walks to help connect children to the outdoor environment throughout the year.
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Last year, Guillet discovered 401Gives Day, the annual online fundraising initiative led by the United Way of Rhode Island where every April 1 since 2020, the community donates to their favorite charities over a 24-hour period. But, Guillet was a bit late in signing up for the 2021 event.
“So I was like ‘I’m not going to miss the deadline this year,’ ” Guillet said. “I want to be part of it. I feel like it gives a lot of visibility to nonprofits like mine and similar ones.”
Guillet is not alone in feeling that way. Out of the 526 organizations participating in the 2022 401Gives Day event on Friday, about 150 have signed up for the first time. Overall, it’s the most number of nonprofits signed up for 401Gives Day in its brief three-year history.
“We’re really excited about that,” United Way CEO and President
said. “We’ve seen the momentum building. We really built a good support program for the nonprofits as they’re ramping up for the day, so they have the tools and resources that they need to make the day its best.”
401Gives Day for 2022 has both raised the bar on how much it wants to raise Friday and set a goal that fits the day’s name – $4.01 million. That total, if reached starting from 6 a.m. Friday through 6 a.m. April 2, would exceed the money raised in 2020 and 2021 combined.
Barbara Haynes, executive director of Providence-based nonprofit McAuley Ministries, knows full well the excitement of being part of 401Gives Day and the power it has. The organization, which provides the basic food, clothing, shelter, health services, emotional support and guidance needs for vulnerable community members, has been with the annual initiative since the very beginning and has benefited as time progressed.
After raising $5,005 in the inaugural 401Gives Day, McAuley Ministries nearly quintupled that in 2021, raising $23,614 – an amount that was helped by a $10,000 matching grant.
“It was wonderful for us to receive that invitation that somebody had the framework for us to use to extend the ask to our existing donors as well as people who did not know [about McAuley Ministries],” Haynes said. “So, we signed up right away.”
Haynes said the money was used to purchase food to help those struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, the additional money helped offset the increased costs of food and basic supplies due to inflation, she said.
On Friday, McAuley, Haynes said, National Grid Rhode Island will provide a matching grant up to $10,000. Also, Haynes said all three facilities under the McAuley umbrella – McAuley House, McAuley Village and The Warde-Robe – will be listed separately to seek funds for their respective needs, such as operational costs.
15 Minute Field Trips, meanwhile, is accepting contributions on 401Gives Day through four different categories. One is a $10 Nature Supporter to cover one person’s attendance to an organization-sponsored event. A $50 Camp Supporter will help cover a single-day cost for a child to go to camp. A $150 Community Support pays for a 15 Minute Field Trip program to be free to the public, and a $500 Change Support donation pays for educator and youth leader training programs. Guillet said the money will help build on some training programs to both better understand the need for trees as mitigation for climate change and reducing food waste.
Guillet also said she doesn’t have a set number as how much she hopes 15 Minute Field Trips will raise on 401Gives Day, just looking to “see how it goes” in the organization’s first time participating.
Once again, sponsors will support 401Gives Day, adding in additional money to the nonprofits’ causes that include matching grants. Rhode Island Foundation will provide two $25,000 matching grants, one in the morning and the other around lunchtime. The Papitto Opportunity Connection will also provide a $20,000 matching gift at 4:01 p.m. on Friday, as well.
To view all the organizations participating in 401Gives Day, and how to contribute to their causes, visit 401gives.org.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
