Following a two-year hiatus, Give More 24! Returns Thursday, Sept. 25, with more than 180 nonprofits participating.
The event, hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chamber, is built around a simple idea: for one 24-hour period, the community focuses on supporting local nonprofits online. Donors can browse causes online at givemore24.org, from youth sports and animal rescues to housing and education, and make contributions that are tracked live on digital leaderboards. Special challenges and matching gifts from sponsors amplify the impact.
“Clark County has always been home to a lot of philanthropy, a lot of nonprofit organizations,” Janet Kenefsky, Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Vancouver Chamber, said. “It’s for the community to support nonprofits in a one-time setting … [it’s] all about the nonprofits, about giving and philanthropy, and to … raise the spirit and the recognition of what the nonprofits are doing in our community.”
The program has been impactful for Southwest Washington, as it raised just over $16 million for local nonprofits before its two-year hiatus.
The campaign was run for years by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington before being folded into a statewide fundraiser. During that time, participation in the area dropped.
“There was great pride in [those] 24 hours [being] designed by [and] held in Southwest Washington that the community, both nonprofits and corporate members, approached the Chamber of Commerce and said if we’re going to bring it back, we’re going to bring it back through the Greater Vancouver Chamber,” Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Vancouver Chamber Janet Kenefsky said.
The chamber has revived the annual event through a capacity-building grant from the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund at the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, which endorsed the event’s return.
The upcoming event will feature 180 nonprofits, surpassing the Chamber’s original goal of 150. Organizers are aiming to raise $1 million in its first year back. Beyond dollars, Kenefsky said the day is about connecting people with causes they may not know exist.
“For us it's [about], letting individuals know that there are nonprofits that are in need, of course, and introducing them to a mission,” she said. “But also that giving feels good.”
Special incentives will add to this year’s excitement. Businesses and individual donors pledge “matches,” which double contributions up to a certain dollar amount. Nonprofits also compete during “power hours,” designated times of day when bonus cash prizes go to the organizations that bring in the most donors or the most dollars. Leaderboards show progress in real time, encouraging friendly competition between groups and rallying supporters to give at strategic times.
Community members can take part by donating online at givemore24.org. While the format is digital-first, many nonprofits plan to host in-person activities, from park events to office gatherings, where giving continues through QR codes linked back to the central platform.
Readers can follow the Greater Vancouver Chamber’s Facebook page at facebook.com/greatervancouverchamber/ to be notified on power hours and giving matches throughout the event’s duration.
