May 14, 2020 Press Releases

Valley Gives Re-launched; Community Foundation Re-Opens Online Giving Portal to Connect Donors with Nonprofits in Need

May 14, 2020—The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) has re-launched the successful Valley Gives website. The “one-stop-giving” online platform aims to connect donors with local nonprofits struggling to provide vital community programs and services—particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. The Community Foundation will promote the Valley Gives website widely to introduce donors to nonprofits in need.

Formerly a single giving day event, Valley Gives will remain “open” for months to come and will give nonprofits a needed fundraising boost. From cultural organizations to environmental programs and educational services, local nonprofits are facing many financial challenges triggered by the pandemic.

Visitors to the website can find a menu of more than 135 nonprofits serving residents across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. People can learn about community challenges and can donate to one or many causes—all with a few clicks on the central, online platform.

The website also is a means for individuals to create a “peer-to-peer” fundraising page for a local nonprofit, set a goal, and reach out to their networks of friends and family to raise dollars for the organization.

According to Katie Allan Zobel, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, “Many nonprofits in the Pioneer Valley region have had to reduce programs and cancel fundraising events due to the COVID crisis. Others have been challenged to meet increased needs for services and essentials. Many donors are eager to help. We decided to re-open Valley Gives to facilitate community generosity and to give donors an easy way to learn about and donate to many nonprofits. Most importantly, Valley Gives is one more way to help reduce the devastating human cost of COVID-19.”

Donors can contribute on the Valley Gives website using a credit card, mobile payment apps, or Automatic Clearing House (ACH) payment.

GiveGab donated the cost of the Valley Gives platform. According to Zobel, “GiveGab’s tremendous generosity in providing the platform pro bono and their willingness to expedite the start-up made this possible.”

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts launched Valley Gives, a 24-hour marathon day of giving, in 2012. The event was created to raise critical dollars for the Pioneer Valley nonprofit community, whose programs and services improve the quality of life for countless local residents from all walks of life.

In its six years of one-day online giving combined, Valley Gives Day raised more than $10 million for nonprofits in the region. In 2018, its final year, more than 400 nonprofit organizations participated in the event.

In addition to Valley Gives, which directly connects individual donors with nonprofits, the Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. Grants awarded through the fund provide emergency support to nonprofit organizations in Western Massachusetts serving the needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic. To date, the Fund has raised $4.3 million from 500 donors and has already awarded grants totaling nearly $2 million.

To learn more about the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, visit communityfoundation.org.