The first time I saw the words “Valley Gives” come across my screen at the GiveGab headquarters in Ithaca, NY, I felt a rush of pride and swore I could smell fiddleheads and moss.  But then I thought, Which valley? Could it really be the one that I grew up in, the valley I called home for the first 24 years of my life?  The answer was yes.

Although I had never heard of Valley Gives, a giving day put on by Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, I immediately recognized that both the Pioneer Valley and the team at GiveGab are full of people dedicated to philanthropy, making for a terrific partnership.   

The collection of individuals that make up the GiveGab team is unlike any other I’ve encountered. They are kind, passionate, tenacious, and they care intensely about helping our customers. We all feel what they feel; through every campaign, every Giving Day, and every donation made, we care because we believe in the work that the community foundations, universities, and nonprofit organizations are doing every day. Organizations like the ones behind Valley Gives.

Valley Gives Results

On May 1, 2018, from midnight to midnight, Valley Gives brought in close to $1.7 million from 10,483 donors to 408 participating organizations!

The sixth annual Giving Day for Valley Gives was sponsored by Big Y Foods, Inc, Andrew Associates, Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, bankESB, Greenfield Cooperative Bank and Northampton Cooperative Bank, and Williams Distributing.

Valley Gives Leaderboards

Throughout the 24 hours, participating nonprofits with the Most Raised and Most Donors were displayed and updated in real-time on the Valley Gives Leaderboards.

Topping the Valley Gives Leaderboards for having the Most Raised was The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts with $26k raised.

Ranking first for having the Most Donors was Dakin Humane Society with 441 unique donations.

Valley Gives Testimonials

I had the pleasure of tagging along for an in-person “debrief” after the giving day. Traveling with two of our Project Managers, Casey and Rebekah, and our CEO Charlie Mulligan. They shared how impressed they were by how “intense and thorough” their contacts from the community foundation were.

These statements weren’t surprising to me, as the people in the valley echo the same passion and intensity that I have seen in the people here at GiveGab, which is probably why, though I miss the pioneer valley, I still feel at home here in Ithaca.

Below are some testimonials from the Valley Gives team about their experience using GiveGab for their Giving Day.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this amazing day of giving! ?