CHEYENNE — The sixth annual WyoGives fundraiser, run by the Wyoming Nonprofit Network, came to a close Thursday afternoon, resulting in the highest totals the event has generated yet.
This year’s WyoGives event experienced the most money raised out of all six years the fundraiser has existed.
The grand total, which does not include any offline donations the 429 organizations submitted after Friday afternoon, was $5,670,584. That number includes the $1.1 million incentive pool from the Hughes Charitable Foundation.
This is a big jump from WyoGives’ first year, in 2020, when the event raised $571,000 for nonprofits, said Wyoming Nonprofit Network Executive Director Jody Shields. There also were significantly more donors this year — 9,359, compared to last year’s total of 7,450.
Beyond raising funds, WyoGives has become a learning experience for participating nonprofits, helping them strengthen their outreach strategies and grow their donor base, Shields said.
“We have more nonprofits that participate (every year),” Shields said. “The nonprofits that do this each year, they learn how to best structure their campaign, how to market, and reach their (recurring) donors and new donors. So they’ve done a great job growing their own campaigns.”
Rhianna Brand, Meals on Wheels events and program coordinator, said the nonprofit’s goal was $30,000, and they exceeded it by $55.
This money will go toward Meals on Wheels’ $60,000 monthly grocery bill, Brand said. It will also go toward dog food, treats, toys and other supplies for their AniMEALS program.
“The generosity in Laramie County and the entire state is so wonderful,” Brand said. “… It’s really beautiful to watch. Funding is uncertain for a lot of programs, so this is such a huge blessing.”
Climb Wyoming CEO Katie Hogarty said the funds raised during WyoGives will go toward job training for single moms to start new careers.
“People really stepped up for the women we serve,” Hogarty said, “and this amazing generosity will go directly to making Wyoming a great place for all of us to live and work.
“There are so many wonderful nonprofits across Wyoming, and WyoGives provides a platform for us all to come together and make visible the incredible impact so many organizations are having around the state.”
WyoGives also gives out prizes for certain milestones. The winner of the $500 First Prize of the Day, which is awarded to the first organization to receive a donation, was Wells Fargo.
There are two 307 prizes, which are awarded to the first three organizations to receive a donation at 3:07 a.m. and 3:07 p.m. The morning winners of the $307 prize were WyoFind Search, Rescue & Recovery, Compass-Center for Families and Cheyenne Chamber Singers. The three winners of the $307 afternoon prize were Wyoming PBS Foundation, Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps Inc. and Robbie’s House.
This year had a new, one-of-a-kind award. The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming 80th Anniversary Prize was given to the nonprofit that received a donation from the 80th online donor of the day. The winner of the $500 prize was Cheyenne’s Black Dog Animal Rescue.
There is also a $1,000 prize for each organization that pushes the website’s total tally to $1 million, $2 million, $3 million and $4 million. The winners of each category were Wyoming Equality, The WYldlife Fund, The Salvation Army Greater Wyoming and Advocacy & Resource Center, respectively.
As another successful year comes to a close, Shields said it’s encouraging to see this much participation and have it continue to grow over the past six years.
“It’s incredibly rewarding and inspirational to see the generosity of Wyomingites,” Shields said. “and people around the country that are supporting the nonprofit community and all of their work on a multitude of different mission areas. So it’s super exciting to see. You think, ‘Are we going to plateau?’ But no, it grows every year, because more people learn about it.”