A stay-at-home order prevented donor gatherings, pop-up fundraisers and parties during Spring2ACTion, but Alexandria residents and donors from around the country rallied from home, raising more than $2.45 million for local nonprofit organizations.
That smashes last year’s record by almost $400,000.
Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s annual Day of Giving by the community foundation ACT for Alexandria, moved up from April 29 to April 15 due to significant and urgent need in the community due to the coronavirus outbreak.
ALIVE!, which runs Alexandria’s main food bank and provides other emergency services, received the most in total donations, raising more than $145,000. Then, the City of Alexandria announced it was providing ALIVE! with additional $220,000 to ensure adequate food supply for food distributions and food pantries through the end of May, following an initiation contribution of $20,000 on March 14.
ACT for Alexandria
The 10 organizations that received the most in fundraising dollars in the 2020 Spring2ACTion.
The City Council also approved an additional $100,000 for ACT for Alexandria’s own COVID-19 Response Fund, following an initial contribution of $100,000 in March. The Fund provides rapid-response grants to help community organizations provide critical services including emergency food, rental assistance, financial assistance, child care, household and medical supplies, medicine, and more during this coronavirus outbreak.
Since its inception in 2011, Spring2ACTion has raised more than $12.5 Million for local nonprofits. Hosted by ACT for Alexandria, Spring2ACTion is the only citywide giving day in the region designed to strengthen the impact of local nonprofits.
In addition to awarding $20,000 in prizes to the nonprofits raising the most dollars and most donors, ACT, Alexandria’s community foundation, leveraged additional dollars from Donor Advised Fund holders to provide more than $400,000 in matching grants and gifts.
“We are so proud to be part of such a generous community” says Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT for Alexandria. “Once again, Alexandria came together to support the nonprofits that are essential to our City.”
The local business community also came together to support the Alexandria nonprofits in a big way. Eight businesses served as business fundraisers, rallying their employees, clients and customers to give to organizations they love and find new ones. This group of businesses raised $87,000 for nonprofit organizations. Many others supported the day with fun and generous offers like free donuts at Elizabeth’s Counter, coffee from Misha’s to 25 cents per takeout meal donations from Holy Cow Burgers, Pork Barrel BBQ and Sweet Fire Donna’s to several local businesses offering percentages of sales and cash prizes like Penny Post and Red Barn Mercantile, to the nonprofits loved by customers.
