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Thousands of donors, nonprofits and schools prepare to give back on Minnesota’s giving holiday Thursday

GiveMN’s Minnesota’s largest grassroots giving campaign and one of the largest in the country is set for this Thursday.

The 14th annual Give to the Max Day is a digital statewide fundraiser benefiting thousands of nonprofits and schools across the state.

Each year, Give to the Max Day serves as a kickoff to the season of generosity, and tens of thousands of donors give to organizations across every Minnesota county. Organizers at GiveMN are asking donors to give generously as an investment in the organizations which build up their communities.

“Give to the Max is a celebration of Minnesotan generosity and the impact it has in every community across our state,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN. “Every year, we start at $0 and are humbled by the power hundreds of thousands of gifts can have when our community joins together during Minnesota’s giving holiday.”

As part of Give to the Max Day, GiveMN is awarding more than $100,000 in prize grants throughout the day to boost the generosity of donors making gifts on GiveMN.org. Donations are automatically entered to win a random “Golden Ticket” worth $500 to $10,000 during drawings every 15 minutes on Give to the Max.

Give to the Max is a celebration of Minnesotans who give back to organizations that strengthen communities across the state.

Through the years, the impact of Give to the Max continues to grow. Last year’s event set records for the amount donated and the number of organizations supported, more than doubling the $14 million donated during the inaugural campaign in 2009.

Locally, the initiative has an impact that goes beyond just the act of money. According to United Way of Mower County Executive Director Molly Lanke it’s also a chance to strengthen the collaborative efforts of organizations.

“The biggest way is just through raising awareness around charitable giving,” Lanke said. “Give MN helps us with community, helps raise awareness on behalf of the non profits.”

While many of the organizations will use the money raised for capital projects, Lanke said any money the United Way earns goes to community impact projects that they distribute to depending on the most need.

“For us, we are raising money for the community,” she said.

Visit GiveMN.org to participate and use the search tool to find causes that align with personal values, including organizations fighting hunger and homelessness, those led by or serving Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), serving LGBTQ+ communities, and more. Donors can search by organization name, keyword, zip code and other search filters.

Give to the Max informally kicked off Nov. 1 for “Early Giving.” Thousands of donors around the world have already donated to more than 2,500 organizations throughout the early giving period, a display of generosity that will build through Give to the Max Day on Nov. 17.

This year’s campaign is sponsored by the Bush Foundation, American National Bank, and Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

GiveMN is an independent nonprofit organization working to ignite generosity and grow giving through GiveMN.org, Minnesota’s giving marketplace, and RaiseMN, a fundraising coaching and training program.