Do More 24’s 24-Hour Donation Dash Begins Thursday

Adobe Stock | Syda Productions

Do More 24 will help fund over 500 nonprofits in the First State in just 24 hours beginning Thursday, March 3—with your help.

The state of Delaware has thousands of nonprofit organizations, each of them supporting a cause that’s special to the hearts of many. Some, like Faithful Friends Animal Society and A Buddy for Life, Inc., care for and protect the animals in our state. Others, like the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science and Newark Center for Creative Learning School, bolster education and sustainability. The Delaware Nature Society teaches about our planet, the Food Bank of Delaware feeds the hungry, and the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation educates about the history of Delaware. Other organizations, like the Howard Pyle Studio Group and the Delaware Art Museum, work to explore and preserve the artistic legacy of the Delaware area, creating new and creative works along the way. When it comes to passionate nonprofit groups and causes to support, Delawareans are spoiled for choice.  

Good news: Do More 24 Delaware, the biggest annual day of giving in the state, is on the horizon. It will take place from Thursday, March 2 at 6 p.m. to Friday, March 3 at 6 p.m. You can donate to your favorite nonprofits and help advocate for their missions as part of the massive, 24-hour fundraising event. Even if you donate only $5, your contribution could make your nonprofit(s) of choice eligible for prizes, awards, matching bonuses and more. There will be more than $600,000 in prize money being awarded to the nonprofits throughout the 24 hours. The Delaware Division of the Arts also contributes hugely with a $400,000 matching grant opportunity for those arts organizations that they support.  

It’s easy to find your favorite nonprofit and donate to them on the Do More 24 Delaware website. Go to the search bar and type in the name of your favorite cause, or take a look through the leaderboards. The leaderboards are tiered based on size, so no small nonprofits are left out of the fundraising fun. On the day of Do More 24, there will be hourly prizes given out to the nonprofits based on varying factors. As Lena Mucchetti, artistic director of the New Light Theatre, says, “We’re a very, very small nonprofit with a very small base, and it doesn’t feel like we’re out of the running for any of those incentives or any of the prizes because they’ve tiered the nonprofit structure…It makes you feel like everybody’s got a shot here.” 

“It is the biggest giving day in the state throughout the year. For a lot of nonprofits, this is their budget for the year.”

The impact of Do More 24 goes beyond financial gain for these nonprofits. It’s also empowering to the donor: “It spurs people to realize that their contribution matters…Those things that people think are drops in the bucket actually have huge ripple effects through an event like Do More 24,” says Mucchetti. In addition, the day of giving generates advocacy for and education about the causes that these nonprofits support. For places like the New Light Theatre, this day is a chance to spread the word and gather meaningful supporters who will remain long after DoMore24 is over.  

“It is the biggest giving day in the state throughout the year. For a lot of nonprofits, this is their budget for the year,” points out Charlie Vincent, executive director of Spur Impact, which organizes the event. (Spur Impact is a nonprofit focused on professional development and community involvement. Another initiative of Spur Impact is the Delaware Gives platform, which is offered to nonprofits for use year round. For more information, visit degives.org.)  

To donate on the day of giving, or to set an email reminder for yourself, visit domore24delaware.org.  

Related: Charitable Groups to Support in Delaware