The 7th annual Give BIG Green Bay offers residents another chance to support local nonprofits
ASHWAUBENON – Supporting the work of 50 local nonprofits is an easy sell, sure, but when you add a limo filled with puppies to the mix, it's enough to make you question why there aren't puppies rolling up in limos at every event.
The puppy limo was courtesy of Happily Ever After, the no-kill animal sanctuary just down the road from Lambeau Field, which joined the crowd at Johnsonville Tailgate Village on Wednesday for the countdown to noon, when Give BIG Green Bay commenced its 24-hour donation drive for the seventh consecutive year.
Since it began, Give BIG Green Bay has supported about 140 organizations across 11 categories, said Dennis Buehler, president and CEO of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, which organizes the giving drive alongside the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which provided $250,000 in impact grants this year.
An additional $250,000 came through match pool and incentives this year from Terry and Kris Fulwiler, Janet and Charlie Lieb, The Village Companies, Associated Bank and other generous community donors.
All $500,000 will be used to match donations, which the Community Foundation will determine based on the total amount each organization reaches. So, if a nonprofit receives 10% of the total amount raised, it will receive 10% of available matching funds once transaction fees are deducted from each donation.
Buehler said the momentum this year feels particularly special.
"It started with an idea that we could come together and use our joint platforms to really bring awareness to important work," Buehler told the Press-Gazette. "I don't think any of us believed it would have the momentum it has now, which is really remarkable how much the community comes together."
Empowering girls of color, brain health and, yes, puppies make up the rich array of nonprofits this year
Until noon on Thursday, anybody can donate to 50 organizations that contribute in myriad ways to the community.
Lovin' the Skin I'm In, a nonprofit focused on uplifting Black and brown girls in northeastern Wisconsin, has been part of Give BIG Green Bay three times, said CEO and founder Rhonda Chandler. Previous donations to Lovin' the Skin I'm In have allowed girls involved in the organization to attend a "Hiplet" event in Fish Creek, which fuses classical ballet with hip-hop.
"So, we rented a van, the girls got dressed up and we were able to experience that performance," Chandler said. "This funding has helped support so many cultural experiences like that."
Brain Center of Green Bay is enjoying its second year with Give Big. Kelsey O'Donnell-Mauthe, its communications manager, said it used previous funds to support its youth brain health program, which gives young people an early start on their brain health, from nutrition to their sleep hygiene.
Neuroplasticity, the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and restructuring, doesn't sound fun, but Brain Center is actively working to create fun neuroplasticity curricula and activities at youth afterschool programs such as the YMCA, said LaReina Tipping, program manager. Kids involved with the Brain Center can also poke a brain mold, which has the consistency of a real human brain (think, Jell-O).
Alex Rodriguez, the CEO of Happily Ever After, hopes the funding will continue the mission of the animal sanctuary in meaningful ways, especially on the human side of things. Few things melt the heart more than handing someone a wiggly two-week-old puppy.
"We're in the animal welfare industry, but we're always looking at ways we can empower man's capacity to care for its companion animals," Rodriguez said.
That's the beauty of Give Big Green Bay, Buehler said. Unlike a typical grant program that focuses on special projects, no organization is beholden to how it uses the funds. The nonprofits receive 100% of the contributions from Give BIG and they can use funds as they make sense.
"They can make the choice about what's best for the organization. They know what's best," Buehler said. "And so if that serves their clients or their population, whatever it might be, then they should make that choice. And it allows them to build on something they can later grow."
Donate to any or as many organizations until noon Thursday through Give BIG Green Bay's website, which can be found at www.givebiggreenbay.org. Here's a list of the 50 nonprofits donors can give to this year. (An asterisk * indicates a new organization to Give BIG Green Bay.)
Animal welfare
Arts & culture
Community improvement
Education
Environment & conservation
Health & wellness
Human services
Wise Women Gathering Place
Hunger & homelessness
Military & public safety
Recreation & sports
Youth development
Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 7th annual Give Big Green Bay matches donations of 50 nonprofits
