PROVIDENCE – The sense that this year’s 401Gives Day would be one for the ages occurred mere moments after the giving portal opened at 6 a.m. on April 1.
The first $20,000 match was reached in just six seconds, said Nancy Wolanski, director of the United Way of Rhode Island Inc.’s Alliance for Nonprofit Impact. At times, the donations came in faster than the online ticker showing how much money has been raised could count over 36 hours.
In the end, nonprofits won out on what proved to be a record 401Gives Day, offering some local organizations both needed support and some peace of mind. Plus, the event roared past a long-sought-after goal in the process.
This year's edition of 401Gives Day’s raised a record $4.88 million once the portal closed at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. That total exceeded the
previous record set last year by more than $1 million, in which 401Gives Day was first held for 36 hours.
Additionally, 20,131 individual donors contributed to 644 total nonprofits, both also new 401Gives Day records, by Wednesday night.
“I think Rhode Islanders understand the moment right now and what nonprofits are going through,” United Way CEO and President Cortney Nicolato told Providence Business News on Thursday. “This is the Rhode Island we all love where we come together and take care of one another. I felt that really shined in this moment.”
Nicolato also said nonprofits took the tools they learned in creating their 401Gives Day campaigns and “ran with it” to make their days worthwhile. As a result, the movement that 401Gives Day has worked to create since 2020 now has “a life of its own,” Nicolato said.
In total, 401Gives Day has raised more than $18 million in its six years, including approximately $14.8 million the last four years. The initiative has raised at least $3 million for four consecutive years and every 401Gives Day has exceeded the previous year’s fundraising total.
But more importantly, that elusive $4.01 million fundraising goal that the United Way had set for 4010Gives Day three years ago was finally eclipsed early Wednesday. That mark was hit in a year where
several local nonprofits still are trying to loosen COVID-19’s grip from five years ago and facing ongoing uncertainty about possible lost federal support.
Wolanski told PBN on Thursday that some nonprofits were “explicitly” appealing to donors about possible lost or currently paused federal funding impacting their operations in their fundraising pushes the last 36 hours. There, Nicolato said, nonprofits leveraged the moment to share their story, including about their funding from Washington, D.C., being at risk.
401Gives Day also again saw a significant year-to-year increase in donors contributing to causes, something United Way’s leaders
pushed for before last year’s event. By 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 21.4% more donors gave to their favorite charities throughout this year’s event than in 2024.
Along with describing that increase in of itself as “huge,” Wolanski said nonprofits increasing their respective donor bases is critical to their sustainability.
“I think it’s an amazing job that nonprofits getting the word out, and really activating and mobilizing their supporters,” Wolanski said. “It’s not a lot of random donations from strangers. It’s a lot of mobilizing people who already care about the organizations to get their friends to donate as well. When you get a new donor on board, they usually stay on board.”
According to the 401Gives Day leaderboard, 111 organizations raised at least $10,000 in 36 hours – 20 more than last year – with 15 of them raising more than $50,000. Six organizations raised $100,000 or more, three times as many as last year’s event.
East Providence-based Foster Forward, which has been a consistent leader during the annual initiative, raised $338,569 from 386 donors, exceeding this year’s $300,000 goal and
last year’s total by more than $105,000.
Foster Forward received $125,000 in matching gifts from Eugene La Pietra, Waterson Terminal Services and The Brauch and Rebecca Goldstein Memorial Fund. It’s also the fourth straight year Foster Forward raised more than $200,000 during 401Gives Day.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport raised $165,573 from 237 donors. The MLK Center’s board members and an “anonymous friend” of the organization provided $40,000 in matching gifts.
Smithfield-based Audubon Society of Rhode Island has brought in $131,641 from 253 donors. The nature nonprofit received $48,000 in matching gifts from Caldwell Realty, the Barbara Walsh and Earl Simson: The Land Fund and an anonymous board member.
Providence-based social services nonprofit Children’s Friend & Services brought in $108,439 from 250 donors during 401Gives Day this year. Boys Town New England in Providence, a nonprofit that offers community support services to youths and adolescents, raised $104,496.
Other organizations rounding out the top 10 are:
- The Haitian Project: $103,806
- United Way of Rhode Island Inc.: $81,838
- School One: $77,455
- Young Voices: $67,443
- Rhode Island Community Food Bank: $66,729
The Rhode Island Foundation also provided $50,000 in total matching gifts throughout the affair, and the Papitto Opportunity Connection gave $30,000 in total gifts for 401Gives Day through multiple small matching grants.
Donations throughout 401Gives Day rapidly came in. The $1 million mark was hit just before 9:30 a.m. on April 1, about 90 minutes faster than from when it was hit the previous year. Then, just after 12:30 p.m. on April 1, donations eclipsed $2 million. Last year, it wasn’t until 4:30 p.m. until $2 million in raised funds was eclipsed.
Then, the $3 million mark was achieved just after 5:30 p.m. on April 1. Last year’s record was surpassed at around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and then
$4.01 million was met at approximately 11:45 a.m., about 20 minutes after the $4 million plateau was reached.
Nicolato said the matching gifts and the nonprofits’ own advertising pushes throughout 401Gives Day created that perfect storm to where donations arrived as fast as they did. Wolanski and Nicolato both said some time will be taken before planning for next year’s 401Gives Day – possibly later this month planning will start – but are optimistic next year’s 401Gives Day will raise the bar once again.
Also, Wolanski said state and federal leadership needs to step up its nonprofit investment and support in Rhode Island after witnessing the community at-large do just that over 36 hours.
“The reality is that private philanthropy pales in comparison to the support governmental funds provide,” Wolanski said. “We can point to the population of Rhode Island recognizes this support, and we want to see the same from state and federal government.”
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 X at @James_Bessette.
