Annual Do More 24 fundraiser starts tonight

Do More 24 is Delaware’s premier 24-hour fundraising campaign, benefitting more than 400 nonprofits statewide. | PHOTO COURTESY OF UWDE/SPUR IMPACT

WILMINGTON – More than 400 nonprofits are participating in the annual Do More 24 Delaware campaign that seeks to raise funds for a diverse array of organizations in 24 hours.

Organized jointly by United Way of Delaware and Spur Impact, the campaign begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 3, and ends at 6 p.m. Friday, March 4. Donors can support their favorite local nonprofit through the DoMore24Delaware.org website.

Last year’s Do More 24 campaign raised $1.9 million from more than 10,000 donors to benefit 412 participating nonprofits – that sum was more than every previous year combined since the campaign began in 2016.

Nonprofits create their own outreach activities to engage supporters and compete for additional cash incentives funded by corporate and foundation donors. This year, the Longwood Foundation, Welfare Foundation, Laffey-McHugh Foundation, Delaware Community Foundation, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, and the Delaware Division of the Arts will help add to individual donations to the 430 participating nonprofits through incentives. Barclays US Consumer Bank, Chemours, Discover Bank, and other corporate partners and nonprofits are also sponsoring and supporting the event in different ways.

Each hour of the event will offer various cash prize awards to nonprofits based on different fundraising metrics, and all nonprofits that raise money will share in one of the event’s stretch pools.

“As the pandemic continues to shift how services are delivered and how nonprofits operate, it is important to remember that nonprofits rely heavily on the support of individual donors,” Spur Impact Association Executive Director Charlie Vincent said in a statement. “We are proud that so many Delaware nonprofits have activated their donors and supporters — particularly younger board members and donors — around this great event. With effectively 1% of the Delaware population donating last year, we hope that even more Delawareans will support and donate to their favorite nonprofits as part of this year’s giving day.”

This year’s event will again feature a 24-hour livestream hosted by Chris Bruce, of King Creative in Wilmington, and will be available to watch from the event’s website. In addition, all donors that make a $50 or higher donation to one or more of the participating nonprofits during the 24 hours will be invited to watch an 8 p.m. Friday post-event virtual benefit concert featuring Backtrack Vocals, an award-winning New York City a cappella group with two members who went to schools in Delaware.