Give BIG Green Bay hits new record, raising $3 million in donations for local nonprofits

Natalie Eilbert, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Updated ·5 min read
Give BIG Green Bay raised more than $3 million over a 24-hour period, the most it's ever raised. More donors than ever also contributed to the giving drive.
Give BIG Green Bay raised more than $3 million over a 24-hour period, the most it's ever raised. More donors than ever also contributed to the giving drive.

GREEN BAY – Over a 24-hour period, Give BIG Green Bay raised more than $3 million for 50 local nonprofits, breaking last year's donor record by half a million.

Between the lunchtime hours of Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, 5,610 donors helped raise a whopping $3,040,057, with the largest donations going to domestic abuse and homeless shelters, downtown Green Bay, early child care centers and cultural resource centers.

Give BIG Green Bay's successful seventh annual donation event speaks to the momentum brought by both the donors and nonprofits this year, said Dennis Buehler, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation president and CEO. It's also something Give BIG staff have been refining over the years with nonprofit partnerships.

"When you take the approach of making this about a celebration of those who are committed to our community, those committed to filling gaps, and you celebrate that, that opens the door to talking about why it's important," Buehler said. "That activates networks, that activates relationships."

Give BIG Green Bay, a partnership between the Packers Foundation and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, selected 50 nonprofits this year who offer "something for everybody," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy.

And, speaking of the Packers, Downtown Green Bay Inc., which raised the second-most funds of any organization in its first year with Give BIG Green Bay, wants to use some of its dollars to prepare the city for the 2025 NFL Draft, executive director Jeff Mirkes told the Press-Gazette.

"Preparing our community for April 2025, that is really high on our radar. We have an opportunity to bring in a quarter of a million visitors to the region," Mirkes said. "And then in addition, we are just as impressed by the potential 75 million viewers throughout the world who are going to see our community when it's broadcast."

Downtowns define a city, Mirkes said, and so in addition to all the beautification of CityDeck, the lights on Washington Street, the public art and the various events Downtown Green Bay Inc. coordinates throughout the year, the funding will allow this bustling part of the city to do even more.

Downtown Green Bay Inc. raised the second-most amount of any nonprofit during Give BIG Green Bay's seventh annual donation drive. Executive Director Jeff Mirkes said he and his staff were "shaking with excitement" when they heard the news.
Downtown Green Bay Inc. raised the second-most amount of any nonprofit during Give BIG Green Bay's seventh annual donation drive. Executive Director Jeff Mirkes said he and his staff were "shaking with excitement" when they heard the news.

On the flipside, for those who want to take a breather from the bustle of city living, Green Bay Botanical Garden, which raised the third-most funds this year, has you covered. Susan Garot, its president and CEO, said the botanical garden has something for everyone, whether that's recreation, education, entertainment or relaxation.

Between the relatively new addition of the Carol & Bruce Bell Children's Garden that added 2,500 new members, its record-breaking year of visitations that looks to exceed 200,000 by the end of the fiscal year, and the volunteers coming in to work on the gardens, Brown County residents are clamoring for plants.

Garot said the nonprofit is busily planning school tours that will give hundreds of students the opportunity to learn about environmental education, everything from rainwater runoff to growing food from seeds, from what plants fare well in wetlands to maintaining the life and health of your plants.

Then again, the botanical garden is also excellent for basking in nature's bounties, Garot said.

"Just taking a walk around the garden can clear your mind of any problems you have. It refreshes you, it reinvigorates you," Garot said. "I always say if I could put a blood pressure cuff on someone when they come in and then take their blood pressure when they leave, I guarantee it'll drop at least 15 points."

Alex Rodriguez, the CEO of Happily Ever After, takes photo of group at the seventh annual Give Big Green Bay event Wednesday at Johnsonville Tailgate Village in Ashwaubenon, Wisc.
Alex Rodriguez, the CEO of Happily Ever After, takes photo of group at the seventh annual Give Big Green Bay event Wednesday at Johnsonville Tailgate Village in Ashwaubenon, Wisc.

Some of the more popular categories that donors gave to this year revolved around human services and hunger/homelessness.

Jesse Brunette, executive director of St. John's Ministries, which raised more than $93,000 and won Give BIG's prize for "Most Unique Donors — Large Budget," told Green Bay Press-Gazette on Wednesday the funds will go toward responding to the latest surge in shelter needs.

The demand has shifted the shelter's plans for the shelter season, which offers overnight stays from Nov. 1 to April 30 each year. Funds from this year will allow Brunette and his staff to reach out to the chronically homeless with services during its offseason. The nonprofit is also looking to expand its daytime resource centers and "come up with creative ideas to serve the community," Brunette said.

Here's a look at the 20 organizations that raised the most funds. (An asterisk denotes a new organization to Give BIG Green Bay.) Matching funds from the Green Bay Packers and other donors — totaling $500,000 — have not yet been applied to individual organizations.

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 breaks records, raises $3 million