The Seattle Foundation Helps King Co. Residents "GiveBIG" to Nonprofits on June 23

Online campaign aims for biggest day ever of charitable giving in county

SEATTLE, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Seattle Foundation aims to stage the biggest charitable giving day in King County history with its "GiveBIG" campaign on June 23.

During this one-day, online event, residents of King County can make donations to local nonprofits on www.seattlefoundation.org -- and a share of every contribution will be matched with a "stretch pool" of funds provided by The Seattle Foundation and GiveBIG supporters.

Built on successful models from other cities, GiveBIG will raise money for the community, bring new donors to local nonprofits and help make our region a more vital place to live. GiveBIG is presented by The Seattle Foundation and Presenting Partners JPMorgan Chase, Seattle International Foundation and Seattle Sounders FC.

"GiveBIG capitalizes on the growth in online giving and Seattle's reputation as a very philanthropic community," said Norman B. Rice, president and chief executive officer of The Seattle Foundation. GiveBIG is being held in June as a boost to nonprofits during a time of year when donations to nonprofits are generally lower.

GiveBIG participants can make contributions of any size through The Seattle Foundation's online Giving Center, which includes information about and evaluations of nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations working in a broad range of areas: Arts & Culture, Basic Needs, Economy, Education, Environment, Health & Wellness, and Neighborhoods & Communities. In-depth analysis of these areas and philanthropic strategies to support them are available in The Seattle Foundation's Healthy Community Report. The Seattle Foundation supports global giving through its partnership with Seattle International Foundation and other globally focused organizations.

GiveBIG will be held from 7:00 a.m. until midnight on Thursday, June 23. Credit card donations made during this time will be counted as GiveBIG donations and used to calculate distribution of the stretch pool. The amount of a nonprofit organization's share of the stretch pool will be based on the percentage of donations the nonprofit receives of the total online contributions made through www.seattlefoundation.org on June 23.

The $500,000 stretch pool includes $250,000 from The Seattle Foundation and generous support from Presenting Partners JPMorgan Chase and Seattle International Foundation. Significant donations were also made by Davis Wright Tremaine, Lease Crutcher Lewis, Puget Sound Energy, Safeco Insurance, Swedish Medical Center, and John Stanton and Theresa Gillepsie, and Bob and Juanita Watt. Media sponsorship is provided by The Seattle Times Company, KING 5 Television, and 973 KIRO FM, 710 ESPN Seattle, 770 KTTH, and MyNorthwest.com.

GiveBIG reflects the democratization of charitable giving known as "citizen philanthropy." "This movement is about the grassroots resources and passions of people who care about their community and the strength of the nonprofits that truly make a difference each and every day," Rice said. "These are the factors that will fuel GiveBIG and make it the biggest ever day of charitable giving in King County."

The Seattle Sounders FC is supporting GiveBIG communications and outreach, including a game-day celebration during the Seattle Sounders FC vs. New York Red Bulls game on the evening of June 23 at Qwest Field.

Nonprofit organizations can visit http://www.seattlefoundation.org/nonprofits/GiveBIG/ to see the nonprofit toolkit and learn how to mobilize supporters to give on June 23. GiveBIG information and updates are also found on http://www.seattlefoundation.org/GiveBIG and The Seattle Foundation's Facebook page.

Established in 1946, The Seattle Foundation's mission is to create a healthy community through engaged philanthropy, community knowledge and leadership. It is the oldest and largest community foundation in the region, with more than 1,200 family and individual funds and assets of $600 million. The Seattle Foundation awards more than $50 million in grants each year. Learn more about the Foundation at www.seattlefoundation.org.

SOURCE The Seattle Foundation