#HelptheHelpers Campaign Raises, Then Matches $2.5 Million in Less Than Two Days to Support Local Nonprofits on the Front Lines of COVID-19

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#HelptheHelpers Campaign Raises, Then Matches $2.5 Million in Less Than Two Days to Support Local Nonprofits on the Front Lines of COVID-19

Initiative urging people to help local nonprofits continue serving their communities has raised nearly $3 million and continues through April 30 for people to get involved
March 30, 2020
#helpthehelpers

This piece was previously published on the Stand Together Foundation website.

March 30, 2020, Arlington, Va. – Stand Together Foundation today announced the near-immediate results it garnered for #HelpTheHelpers, a rapid-response GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $2.5 million in less than two days to help community-based nonprofits continue to provide vital services to those who need it most during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign launched late Thursday evening and within 24 hours, #HelpTheHelpers became one of the most successful fundraising campaigns related to COVID-19 on the popular fundraising platform. 

As part of a soft launch on Thursday evening, March 26, Stand Together Foundation announced it would match 100 percent of the first $1 million in donations through the campaign's website, up to $100,000 per organization, through the month of April. Due to an overwhelming response from people across the country, the full $1 million match was exhausted within the first 24 hours of the GoFundMe page going live. As a result, on Friday, Stand Together Foundation announced that it would more than double its initial match, committing an additional $1.5 million (making $2.5 million in total) through the end of April to continue matching funds in an updated campaign. That goal was hit Saturday afternoon as individuals in communities across the country rallied in near-instant support of their local nonprofit organizations. 

Stand Together Foundation partners with over 165 highly effective community-based organizations that help neighbors overcome barriers in their lives, and now more than ever they are on the frontlines of crisis. Due to the mounting economic fallout, millions of Americans are facing loss of employment. Others have lost childcare, mental health services, and access to healthy meals. The COVID-19 crisis creates new hardships and risks making prior hardships, like poverty and addiction, worse. 

"The COVID-19 crisis has hit our most vulnerable neighbors the hardest. But the resilience of the American spirit is a powerful force. Across the country, local organizations are emerging as innovative leaders to help our communities weather the storm. And people are showing that their generosity persists even amid uncertain times," said Evan Feinberg, executive director of Stand Together Foundation. 

Feinberg continued, "Mr. Rogers used to say that when he was a boy and saw scary things in the news that his mother would tell him to 'look for the helpers.' At Stand Together Foundation, we are bringing people together from all walks of life who want to help the helpers do more." 

A testament to the power of community in times of crisis, #HelpTheHelpers launched as one of the fastest growing campaigns on GoFundMe and is currently the highest performing COVID-19 campaign on the platform. 

"The outpouring of generosity for #HelpTheHelpers is incredible. We're inspired by the actions of organizations like Stand Together Foundation and their community-based nonprofit partners, who are providing critical support during this pandemic," said Danny Gordon, Chief Business Officer, GoFundMe Charity. 

Prison Entrepreneurship Program is one of the local nonprofits participating in the campaign. Within three hours, the organization raised $76,000 in donations that Stand Together Foundation will match, for a total benefit of $152,000 to its programs. CEO Bryan Kelley weighed in: "The work we and all of the organizations who partner with Stand Together Foundation is too important to push pause during this difficult time. #HelptheHelpers is helping nonprofits likes ours push through a very challenging time. It goes to show the only thing more contagious than this virus is kindness, giving, and love." 

Donations can be made to any of the participating nonprofits at HelpTheHelpersToday.org to ensure these local groups have the resources needed to continue their vital work during this crisis and beyond. Those giving funds can learn about the innovative and effective approaches that this group of social entrepreneurs is taking to make a difference. Things like providing food on the go to children who rely on school lunches, offering virtual counseling sessions to those struggling with substance use disorders, and distributing phones and hot spots to foster youth to stream classes. 

These nonprofits are among the most effective and innovative in the country. Visit HelpTheHelpersToday.org to select a local organization to support in their COVID-19 efforts. 

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