For the last seven years, a 24-hour giving extravaganza has been occurring at the beginning of June. NEPA Gives to date has raised over $5.6 million. 

For those readers who may not be native to this region, NEPA is a colloquial term for northeastern Pennsylvania, and this regional giving day is a multi-county, regional fundraising effort headed up by community foundations across 13 counties. The Scranton Area Community Foundation, the largest of the community foundations in the region, helps to lead the effort, with the Wayne County Community Foundation as a partner in this effort since 2020. 

Giving days have become a popular way to bring positive attention to the nonprofit sector and show them some love. The day is filled with the celebration of giving from individuals, the business community, and private and community foundations. It has a hint of competitiveness among the nonprofits as they try to win different prizes and bonus money throughout the day. 

As donors, it’s a great day to maximize your giving by donating what you can online between Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. and Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. by visiting www.nepagives.org. 

Your gift to your favorite causes and nonprofits might end up unlocking a cash prize for them to use and help them meet their mission. 

What’s particularly inspiring about NEPA Gives is to see donations come in. They range from $10 to multiple thousands, from people and businesses who really get in the spirit and want to make a difference in their community. Positive peer pressure—it really does the trick.

What I also enjoy each year is deepening the working relationships between the community foundations that all collaborate to put on this 24-hour giving day—we meet regularly, and with those meetings, closer working relationships, continued partnerships and a deeper sense of trust are among us. 

So, will you join in the fun on June 4 and 5 this year? Will you get in the giving spirit and give at least $10 to a nonprofit of your choosing on nepagives.org? If you’re not able to give this year, that’s OK—will you commit to telling a friend, colleague or family member about NEPA Gives this year? That positive peer pressure has great value.

For more information about the Wayne County Community Foundation, visit waynefoundation.org.Ryanne Jennings is the president/CEO of the Wayne County Community Foundation.

NEPA Gives Returns June 4–5 as Regional 24-Hour Fundraising Event Expands Across 13 Counties

When NEPA Gives launched in 2020, the region was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities were isolated, nonprofits faced uncertainty, and online fundraising became more necessity than option.

NEPA Gives returns June 4 at 7 p.m. and runs through June 5 at 7 p.m, and, six years later, the 24-hour giving campaign has grown into one of the largest coordinated charitable efforts in Northeastern Pennsylvania — now spanning 13 counties and hundreds of nonprofit organizations.

“Every year it kind of shifts depending on the nonprofit environment and the giving environment,” said Ryanne Jennings, president and CEO of the Wayne County Community Foundation.

Jennings said that spirit has remained steady, even as financial pressures affect donors.

“Even when wallets are tight, people are still finding ways to give to the organizations that they care about,” she said.

Behind the scenes, organizers meet regularly for months leading up to the event to coordinate sponsorships, prize incentives and nonprofit participation. Jennings said the effort has also helped smaller organizations build stronger digital fundraising skills and reach new donors.

“NEPA Gives often brings a pipeline of younger donors that they might not have before,” she said.

The event also features matching incentives and prize pools funded by businesses and private donors, which can significantly increase the impact of individual gifts.

“The stretch dollars are based on unique donations to that organization,” Jennings said. “So the more donors you have, the more money you’ll get out of that stretch pool.”

Jennings encouraged even small donations to participate during the 24-hour window, noting that contributions of $10 or more can help unlock additional funding and prizes.

More information and participating nonprofits –including Radio Catskill– are available at NEPAGives.org.

Image: A NEPA Gives celebration in 2023. (NEPA Gives)

News and Events