One-day, online event raises money, awareness about need for food, shelter in greater Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI - February 16, 2012 - On March 8, members of the community will come together to raise funds for 19 nonprofits participating in Match Day. Match Day is an online giving event and the first of its kind in Wisconsin designed to raise awareness for basic needs in the greater Milwaukee area.

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is coordinating the event, which showcases 19 organizations in the greater Milwaukee area meeting the food and shelter needs of individuals and families who are struggling. Match Day is modeled after similar online giving events sponsored by community foundations in cities like Columbus and Pittsburgh.

"It's been three years since the economy took a tumble and things are still very tough for many individuals and families in our community," said Ellen M. Gilligan, the Foundation's president and CEO. "We know from the organizations that we support that too many people are continuing to struggle to meet the most basic needs that many of us take for granted. With Match Day, we want to leverage support from the community and increase the capacity of those nonprofits to meet the demand for their services."

Beginning February 17, and on each day leading up to the online event on March 8, the public will have the chance to learn more about each of the 19 nonprofits participating in Match Day. Online giveaways will also be featured as part of the countdown on Facebook. Information on each nonprofit will be featured daily via the Foundation's Facebook and Twitter pages and through www.matchdaymke.org.

Each gift made by a donor on March 8, 2012 will be proportionately matched. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and several individual donors and area funders, including the Brewers Community Foundation, The Ceres Foundation, Faye McBeath Foundation, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee have already pledged $675,000 toward the match pool for that day. The Brewers Community Foundation, Time Warner Cable, Clear Channel Outdoor, The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have generously contributed in kind support and donor prizes.

To create Match Day, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation partnered with Razoo, an online platform that simplifies giving. Razoo also offers training to help nonprofits build robust online fundraising abilities to help strengthen their donor base for years to come. Before undertaking Match Day, Razoo helped create two similar days in Minnesota, netting $24 million in donations for 4,000 nonprofits.

For more information on Match Day, visit www.MatchDayMKE.org, and be sure to like the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

About Greater Milwaukee Foundation

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is a family of more than 1,000 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. Grants from these funds serve people throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties and beyond. Started in 1915, the Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the world.

Participating Nonprofits

Center for Veterans Issues

Community Advocates

Daystar

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

Food Pantry of Waukesha County

Friends of Abused Families

Guest House of Milwaukee

Hebron House of Hospitality

Hope Center

Hope House of Milwaukee

Hunger Task Force

Milwaukee Rescue Mission

Pathfinders Milwaukee

Repairers of the Breach

Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee

Sojourner Family Peace Center

The Cathedral Center

Walker's Point Youth and Family Center

Women's Center - Waukesha

Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Basic Needs Fund

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