Palmyra’s Great Give aims to raise $100,000 in 24-hour donation marathon

Palmyra’s Great Give, a 24-hour online giving day supporting dozens of local nonprofits, is happening on Thursday, Oct. 9.

Organizers are aiming to raise $100,000 following last year’s $85,000 total.

The Great Give used to be entirely Palmyra-based, but expanded to cover all of Lebanon County and other nearby towns like Hershey, Harrisburg, and Lancaster.

Missy Patrick, Palmyra’s Great Give coordinator, said she’s involved with many local groups and was constantly fundraising. Seven years ago, she said, a group of heavily involved Palmyra residents thought it would be a good idea to focus those fundraising efforts into one day.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we just had this once-a-year fundraiser and everybody could just make their whole year’s goal in a day? That’s sort of where the vision came,” Patrick said.  “Our goal, my mission, and my wish is that every single nonprofit joins the Great Give, and this is their once-a-year fundraising.”

Nonprofits joined Palmyra’s Great Give for a $25 fee. Patrick said the smaller sports teams can make at least $2,000 to $3,000, but the larger organizations can bring in tens of thousands.

She said the Great Give provides the website and the resources, but the nonprofits need to assemble their own followers through outreach.

“You have to rally your supporters. You have to go on social media,” Patrick said. “We give you all the training and tools, and if you do it, you can be super successful.”

Businesses can support the event with $1,000 or $250 sponsorships. A $1,000 sponsorship creates a “match minute,” where they agree to double every donation for 1 minute or until the $1,000 is depleted. The $250 sponsorship creates prizes for challenges, such as the first donation, the last donation, and more.

Patrick said the match minutes easily bring in the most money throughout the day.

“People wait for those match minutes because they want their $10 to be $20 or their $50 to be $100, and it just makes them feel better,” she said.

They held a nonprofit kickoff meeting on Oct. 2 to announce everything and provide organizations with a schedule. Pre-giving also opened up on Oct. 2 and can be done online at palmyra.gives.

This year, Palmyra’s Great Give is going to have a home base at the Palmyra Community Pool from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Patrick said groups can have their own tables in the parking lot, and there will also be food trucks, music, bingo, and trivia. They will take physical donations like food and pet supplies.

Beyond the 24 hours of donations, Palmyra’s Great Give connects people with nonprofits. People can get information about volunteering or find out what donations are needed at other times of the year.

All proceeds from the day go directly to the nonprofits. Donors can use the Palmyra’s Great Give website to donate to one or several of the 28 organizations in one transaction.

“It’s give local, stay local. We live, work, dine, shop here, and all the organizations serve us right here, so all the money is just going right back,” Patrick said. “You see your own community continue to flourish, and you’re seeing it in action in one way or another. Whether you’re helping out your fellow neighbor, your family member, or whoever, it’s staying right here.”