401Gives: The lift that keeps on giving for Rhode Island nonprofits

401Gives sailed past the halfway mark to its goal of raising $4 million just before 4:30 p.m. Monday, potentially putting Rhode Island’s statewide online fundraiser on track to reach it with 25 and a half more hours to go.

The 36-hour extravaganza hosted by the United Way of Rhode Island already set a new record with 580 nonprofit organizations receiving donations so far in the event’s fifth year. Last year’s weekend-long event saw 546 organizations benefit from donations.

What has not changed: Foster Forward dominated the 401Gives leaderboard all day. The East Providence social services agency that assists young people as they age out of foster care has held the top spot for fundraising three years in a row. As of 9 p.m., Foster Forward had raised $151,131 from 318 individual donors. The agency had two $50,000 matching grants to boost donations.

Lisa Guillette, the agency’s executive director, expressed optimism that this year’s goal of raising $250,000 before 401Gives ends Tuesday at 6 p.m. was within reach.

“We are overwhelmed by the generous support we received throughout the day!” Guillette wrote in an email Monday night after Foster Forward celebrated with its peer fundraising team at Public Kitchen in Providence.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Newport was in second place, having smashed its original $75,000 goal at 3:30 p.m. — it raised over $89,000 from 130 donors as of 9 p.m. and was close to hitting enough donors to secure an additional $5,000 from matching donors, the Blair/Winkle family.

“Our donors are our partners,” Director of Development Alyson Novick wrote in an email. “They make everything we do possible.”

401Gives will play a significant role for the MLK Center’s ability to fulfill its mission after its leadership decided not to have a major fundraising gala, Novick said. “Parties are fun but they are very, very expensive,” she added. “So, we’re leaning in to campaigns like 401Gives where we can connect with generous people around the state, and get their donations working right away in our community.”

The third top fundraiser was the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, which had raised over $68,000 from 141 donors.

Fifty-four participants had raised $10,000 or more while 122 had exceeded $5,000 raised.

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Foster Forward raised the most money among large organizations, defined as those with a budget of over $2 million. The top medium organization, meaning it has a budget of between $500,000 and $2 million, was Young Voices, the Providence-based urban youth advocacy and leadership organization, which raised $49,275 from 141 donors.

The Alliance of RI Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE) raised $26,259 from 414 donors to rank as the top fundraiser among small organizations, which have a budget under $500,000, raising the most money.

The Partnership for Providence Parks, Recreation Centers, and Streetscapes raised over $22,000 from 66 donors. It raised the most money among micro organizations, which have a budget of $250,000 or less.

“We know our nonprofits are stretched thin and yet continue to provide important programs and services in the face of very high community need,” Cortney Nicolato, United Way’s president and CEO said in a statement. “Right now, those same organizations are getting a much-deserved influx of support to fuel that vital work.”

Correction: The job title of Alyson Novick was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.