Match Day 2015 raises nearly $3.5 million for food and shelter agencies

Milwaukee – March 20, 2015 –Thanks to the generosity of thousands in southeastern Wisconsin through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s fourth Match Day event, $3,490,552 was raised to support 20 area food and shelter agencies.

The special online giving event, which was coordinated by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, raised $2,235,902 from 5,484 individuals and $401,650 from Foundation donors. Those gifts were proportionately matched with money from a pool of $845,000 in matching funds from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, its donors and Board members as well as many community supporters, including Brewers Community Foundation, The Ceres Foundation, Meijer, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County and the Faye McBeath Foundation. Eight nonprofits received an extra $1,000 thanks to the Brewers Community Foundation. The result was a total of nearly $3.5 million.

“On behalf of the entire Foundation, I want to thank everyone who helped make Match Day a great success for the fourth year,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “It’s heartwarming to see our community come together like this, and the donations made for this event will have a lasting impact on the organizations and the citizens they serve.”

Highlights from the 24-hour event:

• The first gift – $75 – was made 3 minutes after the event started at midnight
• A total of 9,280 donations were made through MatchDayMKE.org on March 19
• Hunger Task Force raised the most online of the participating agencies – 1,578 individual donors contributed a total of $422,727
• The Women’s Center, Hunger Task Force, Center for Veterans Issues, Guest House of Milwaukee, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Advocates of Ozaukee, Community Advocates and Salvation Army each received an additional $1,000, through the Super Match promotion, made possible by Brewers Community Foundation and in partnership with WISN 12 News

• Advocates of Ozaukee
• Cathedral Center
• Center for Veterans Issues
• Community Advocates
• Daystar
• Family Promise of Washington County
• 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
• The Salvation Army
• Sojourner Family Peace Center
• The Women’s Center
• Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center

About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Match Day

For a century, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has helped individuals, families and organizations realize their philanthropic goals and make a difference in the community, during their lifetimes and for future generations. The Foundation consists of more than 1,200 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. The Foundation also deploys both human and financial resources to address the most critical needs of the community and ensure the vitality of the region.

Started in 1915, the Foundation was one of the first community foundations in the world. With a total asset base of more than $847 million, it is also among the largest.

Match Day is a 24-hour online giving event organized by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation that raises support and awareness for 20 nonprofit organizations in southeastern Wisconsin. Match Day will be held for the fourth time on March 19, 2015. A pool of funds will be available to match online contributions proportionately, based on the total amount raised by each organization on Match Day. To make a donation or learn more visit MatchDayMKE.org.

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