Missoula Gives event nets 4,000 donors, raises $1.2M

(Missoula Current) Donors provided local nonprofits with more than $1.2 million during this year's Missoula Gives event, which wrapped up last Friday.

Marcy Allen, executive director of the Missoula Community Foundation, said the 26-hour window saw more than 4,000 donors give to this year's crop of 210 nonprofits.

“We have been trying for many years to have more than 4,000 donors participating in the day, and this year we had 4,100, which is just phenomenal,” Allen said.

This year's event saw a slight uptick in the number of donors and the total amount raised. Last year, the event saw 3,800 donors give $1.1 million.

“The donor number has always been an important benchmark for us, because we know that giving feels good, and that Missoula Gives donors will continue to give back to our community beyond the giving day,” said Allen. “Their giving will in turn inspire more people to give. Giving has a ripple effect that can really affect positive change.”

Allen said the event also brings exposure to certain nonprofits. For some, it's their largest fundraiser of the year. Among them, the Missoula Wild Lacrosse Club raised $14,550.

“We rely on funds from Missoula Gives to help pay our coaches, secure our practice fields and provide scholarships for our players,” Elena Furrow, director of the girl's lacrosse club, said in a statement. “Most importantly, the funds raised help us keep our costs low, so lacrosse is accessible for all kids in Missoula who want to play.”