Giving Back

Alexandria Exceeds Last Year!  $1,768,501 Raised for 157 Alexandria Nonprofits by 9381 Donors for Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s 24 Hour Giving Day

A staggering 157 local nonprofit groups, like Arts on the Horizon, a theatre organization for children up to six years old in Northern Virginia, benefitted from the 24-hour giving marathon. (Photo courtesy of ACT for Alexandria)

Alexandria was flooded with generosity on April 25th for Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s Giving Day.  The 8th annual online giving event had another record-breaking year, generating $1,768,501 for 157 Alexandria nonprofits in just 24 hours, an increase of $176,042 over 2017.

Since its inception in 2011, Spring2ACTion has raised more than $8 Million for local nonprofits.  Hosted by ACT for Alexandria, Spring2ACTion is the only citywide giving day in the region designed to strengthen the impact of local nonprofits.  In addition to awarding $50,000 in prizes to the nonprofits raising the most dollars and most donors, ACT, Alexandria’s community foundation, leveraged additional dollars from their Donor Advised Fund holders to provide more than $300,000 in matching grants and gifts on April 25th.

As online giving and peer-to-peer fundraising continues its upward trend in popularity, Spring2ACTion continues to expand, with more than 20 nonprofits taking part for the first time. (Photo courtesy of ACT for Alexandria)

Participating nonprofits represent a wide variety of causes, including health and wellness, food and shelter, arts and music, schools and PTAs, children and families, veteran’s programs, and animal rescue.  From providing scholarships to summer camp to building playgrounds to pro-bono legal services to serving meals to low-income families, the money raised during Spring2ACTion will continue to have a tremendous impact on the community in the coming year.

“We are so proud to be part of such a generous community” says Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT for Alexandria. “For the eighth year, Alexandria came together to support the nonprofits that are essential to our City.”

Top Prize Winners included:

Most Donors Leaderboard:  Alexandria Soccer Association

Most Dollars Leaderboard:  RunningBrooke

Free Agent Fundraiser Leaderboard:  Team NoVA for Urban Alliance

Spring4ART Leaderboard:  Alexandria Harmonizers

The effort to raise money reached deep into the community and even little citizens like Lily got into the giving fever. She raised more than $700 with her lemonade stand set up in Del Ray. (Photo courtesy of ACT for Alexandria)

While Spring2ACTIon is an online event, the local business community also came together to support the Alexandria nonprofits.  From free donuts at Sugar Shack to 25 cents per meal donations from Holy Cow Burgers, Pork Barrel BBQ and Sweet Fire Donna’s to Alexandria Restaurant Partners donating 5% of all sales to Spring2ACTion, several local businesses hosted events to benefit their favorite nonprofits and added a vibrant offline component to this day of giving.

Spring2ACTion is presented by ACT for Alexandria and the City of Alexandria.  Giving Day Sponsors include:  Alexandria Restaurant Partners, Grant Thornton, Reingold, Maria and Harry Hopper, McEnearney Associates REALTORS, Access National Bank, Beyer Subaru, Caudron Megary Blackburn Wealth Management Group, Comfort One Shoes, Holy Cow Burgers, Focus Data Solutions, John Marshall Bank, Penny Post, Red Barn Mercantile, Pork Barrel BBQ, Sugar Shack Donuts, Sweet Fire Donna’s, Yates Automotive, Alphagraphics, ALX Community, Brighter Strategies, and South Block Juice Co.

Community Partners include the Alexandria Arts Alliance, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Alexandria City Public Schools, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Alexandria Gazette Packet, Alexandrianews.org, Alexandria Times, Del Ray Business Association, Good. Works.Wednesday., Patch, Visit Alexandria, Washington Street United Methodist Church, Whole Foods, and The Zebra.  Spring2ACTion is hosted on the Give Gab platform.

For a full list of all winners and sponsors, please visit: www.Spring2ACTion.org

 

About ACT for Alexandria

Launched in 2004, ACT for Alexandria (ACT) is a community foundation that seeks to turn ideas into action and resources into results. For more information about ACT and how you can support the pressing needs of the nonprofit community in Alexandria, contact ACT at 703-739-7778 or visit www.actforalexandria.org.

 

Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, founded by her in 2010. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA and has lived and worked in the Alexandria publishing community since 1987.

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