Howling good: Abilene Gives gets its record, with $2.1M taken in
Abilene showed it could do more in half the time Tuesday.
With the annual Abilene Gives effort cut from 24 hours to 12, donors made time to pony up a record amount. Just missing $2 million in 2021, the fundraising blitz organized by Community Foundation of Abilene surpassed its goal before the end of the effort at 8 p.m.
The total didn't stop there. The foundation, in an email, announced giving as $2,077,615. Later online, the total was $2,086,780 as those exiting Jay Moore's history talk at the Paramount Theatre discovered on their cellphones.
On Thursday morning, the total had crested $2.1 million at $2,103,023.
There were 3,665 donors for 169 nonprofits listed Wednesday morning. All received some funding.
The effort has exceeded its goal each since starting in 2017. Here is the year-by-year tally board:
2023: $2.1 million
2022: $1.73 million
2021: $1.99 million
2020: $1.3 million
2019: $730,000
2018: $550,000
2017: $468,000
That adds up to almost $8.9 million.
At about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, the total swept past the $1 million mark - 6 hours and 45 minutes into the 12-hour effort. It would take less time to get over the $2 million hump. But at 7:30 p.m., the total was about $115,000 short of the milestone. That meant a push was needed to reach the goal.
All were kind to All Kind
Leading the way was the new nonprofit All Kind Animal Initiative, which is partnering with the city of Abilene to staff the current shelter and working with the city to plan a new facility in east Abilene near Cal Young Park.
All Kind took in a whopping $178,625 - more than $60,000 higher than last year's top-targeted nonprofit.
"Wow ... we are so incredibly blessed by the outpouring of donations that we received," said Molly Moser, executive director of All Kind. Funds came in throughout the day, she said,
She said there wasn't a "giving potion" added to Tuesday's morning's Doughnuts with Dogs to pump up interest in Abilene Gives. "We wanted people to come out to the current facility to see what it looks like ... and see what needs are needed; most people haven't been out to the shelter."
Abilene Gives money goes toward the new facility, called the PARC (short for Pet Adoption and Resource Center), and puts private sector giving close to $8 million in a little more than a year. There still is $1.5 million to raise, Moser said. "We're getting there."
Deadline to raise the $9.5 million needed is the end of June.
"Abilene really showed up yesterday," Moser said Wednesday. She is hopeful that enthusiasm carries over to the complete the fundraising effort.
Another bonus Tuesday?
One visitor adopted a dog - Tony, a terrier/pit bull mix - during the hour-long promotion.
Others who scored
Camp Able, the 2021 and 2022 champ, was next on the leaderboard with $122,195 - about what it received last year.
The nonprofit that offers equine therapy at its site in Buffalo Gap scored $121,385 last year compared to $112,611 in 2021.
Youth Voice is yet another brand-new nonprofit, located in the former American Classifieds building on North First Street. It attracted $113,916.
Youth Voice is a place where middle school and high school students can go to hang out safely and even get help with homework.
Eight nonprofits received at least $50,000.
Two "usual suspects" made the top 10 - the 93-year-old Paramount Theatre downtown and the Abilene Zoo.
Pregnancy Resources took in $60,380, which is impressive considering that the organization just had its "Life In Bloom" fundraiser, which is its biggest event of the year.
Pregnancy Resources provides services for individuals and families in the Big Country.
Holly Corbett, outreach coordinator, said Thursday that needs dropped during COVID but have increased to even more than pre-pandemic numbers.
"A significant increase," she said, adding the organization was blessed to receive such good support soon after another fund-raising effort.
The top 10 organizations receiving gifts (donors) were:
All Kind Animal Initiative - $178,626 (278)
2. Camp Able of Buffalo Gap - $122,195 (125)
3. Youth Voice - $113,916 (32)
4. St. John’s Episcopal School - $68,435 (88)
5. Big Country CASA Inc. - $63,495 (122)
6. Pregnancy Resources of Abilene - $60,380 (63)
7. Paramount Theatre - $56,495 (137)
8. Gold Monarch Healing Center - $50,000 (40)
9. Abilene Zoological Society - $45,205 (119)
10. Habitat for Humanity Inc. - $44,514 (56)
Habitat entered the top 10 overnight, with Meals on Wheels dropping from No. 8 to No. 12 overall.
All Kind had the most donors at 278, followed by 182 who gave to Day Nursery, which took in $26,245 and made the top 25.
A dozen organizations benefitted from 100 or more donors.
Habitat achieved high hopes
Representatives of many of the nonprofits gathered at the foundation for a kickoff breakfast. Besides doughnuts and sausage links, they rallied for their organizations, many wearing "Abilene Gives" T-shirts and while others wore an accoutrement signifying their nonprofit.
Rosten Callarman, executive director for Habitat for Humanity, was networking.
This is his second Abilene Gives campaign for Habitat - he previously has been involved with other nonprofits. His current organization took in $42,000 last year.
This year, the take was $44,514.
Habitat has a matching grant for up to $35,000, so money given during Abilene Gives is doubled.
"But a big part of what we want to do this year, is for people to see what we do," he said.
And that's happening. At the corner of North First and Hickory streets, on the southeast corner of the First Baptist Church parking lot, is a framed house where Habitat and First Baptist are teaming on that project. The structure, when completely framed, will be disassembled and moved to a location where it will be finished.
"It want people to look at Habitat for Humanity and see that we are doing good things," he said.
Callarman, who has been with Habitat for 18 months, said the best thing about Abilene Gives is that it gives city residents a chance to see what all the nonprofits are doing. "This is always happening - how can we help?"
On Tuesday, that meant going online to give.
Callarman said Abilene Gives day is both fun and a little nerve-wracking. It's both a celebration for organizations, but everyone is anxious to see how they fare. If an organization has done its promotion, the day is more relaxing, he said.
Habitat currently has four houses going. Money raised from Abilene Gives goes toward the next two houses, at 889 Orange and 1141 Plum streets.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Howling good: Abilene Gives gets its record, with $2.1M taken in
