WATR’s Tom Chute broadcasts interview with Tina Agati, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury, during the Give Local campaign.

Fourth Annual Community-wide Giving Campaign Generates Over $1.2 Million for Local Nonprofits in Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills

Over 6,900 donations in three days tops previous years’ giving totals.

Shattering its previous record, the fourth annual Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills online giving campaign raised more than $1.2 million in three days for over 200 nonprofits serving 21 towns in the region. Thousands of donors made more than 6,900 gifts during the give-a-thon — more than in any of the three prior Give Local campaigns.

Spearheaded by the Connecticut Community Foundation and lead sponsor Ion Bank Foundation, Give Local rallied individuals, businesses, and community groups to raise as much money and awareness as possible for local nonprofits. Collectively, they contributed more than $125,000 in bonus funds and over $50,000 in competitive cash prizes that were awarded to nonprofits during the event.

Originally scheduled for 36 hours, the event was extended an extra day due to technical issues with Give Local America’s website vendor, which simultaneously impacted scores of similar giving campaigns around the country.

“The dedication, generosity, and resilience of our donors and nonprofits were on full display over the last three days, and were nothing short of astounding,” said Paula Van Ness, President and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation. “The outpouring of giving has inspired the entire region and reinforced our mission to boost the vitally important work of local nonprofits. Many are experiencing cuts to their services due to our state’s budget challenges, and they need our financial support more than ever. The timing and bounty of Give Local dollars could not have been better.”

Total dollars raised for each of the participating nonprofits can be viewed on the Leaderboard of the Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills website at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Two organizations at the top of the Leaderboard by the end of the campaign were:

  • Wellspring (Bethlehem, CT): Overall leader in dollars raised
  • Wellmore Behavioral Health (Waterbury, CT): Overall leader in number of gifts

Since 2013, Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills events have raised more than $3.1 million for hundreds of local profits.