What to know about the annual fundraiser for nonprofits
Karen Bilowith of the Erie Community Foundation on Erie Gives Day
On July 26, 2022, Karen Bilowith, Erie Community Foundation CEO, describes why Erie Gives is so important for local nonprofit organizations.
David Bruce, Erie Times-News
Collective giving is the theme once again for Erie Gives, a fundraiser for more than 450 local nonprofits of all types, with the 15th annual event hosted by the Erie Community Foundation.
Held each year on the second Tuesday of August, Erie Gives lands on Aug.12 this year, running 24 hours starting at midnight.
The Erie Community Foundation at 459 W. Sixth St. coordinates the operation, which aims to engage donors with the daily work by local nonprofit organizations.
To date, Erie Gives has raised more than $66.3 million for local nonprofits. In 2024, Erie Gives set a record by raising more than $9.7 million.
Here’s more on what you need to know before you get out your wallet or checkbook to make a donation to a local nonprofit during Erie Gives.
How can I make a donation during Erie Gives?
There are three ways to make a donation for Erie Gives.
- Donors can call 814-454-0843 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 12. Phone donations can only be made with credit cards.
- Donors can go to Eriegives.org where they will be directed to a program called GiveGab, a nonprofit giving platform that helps nonprofits raise money and engage donors. If making an online donation, only Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover are accepted. Debit cards will also be accepted.
- The third way to make a donation is by dropping off the check in person at the Erie Community Foundation at the Sixth Street location. Make sure to write a single check for the total amount payable to The Erie Community Foundation and the Foundation will distribute your gift to the nonprofit of your choice.
Donors also had the opportunity to make donations by mail, but the deadline for 2025 was Aug. 5.
Who can donate during Erie Gives?
Anyone, Erie resident or non-Erie resident, is welcome to make a donation to Erie Gives.
Where can I find the list of local nonprofits?
If you are still debating who to give to for Erie Gives, the full list of more than 450 nonprofits can be found at Eriegives.org and in the Erie Times-News event directory.
How many nonprofits can you donate to during Erie Gives?
According to eriegives.org, if you are making donations by check then you can give to as many nonprofits as you would like.
If you are making donations online, then you can make 10 donations at a time. If you plan to make more than 10 donations, then you will need to process multiple transactions.
When will the nonprofits receive donations?
The Erie Community Foundation states that nonprofits will receive donations within four to five weeks through a check.
Just how much of the donations will go to the nonprofit?
New for 2025, all fees will be completely covered, which means your entire donation will go directly to the nonprofit.
A donation match
For Erie Gives 2025, there is a donation match. From the Erie Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, there will be a bonus bucks poll to make donations go further.
Where can I learn more about Erie Gives?
To find out more information about Erie Gives, visit Eriegives.org or follow them on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@gannett.com.