'Midlands Gives' Hosts Full Day of Entertainment at Spirit Communications Park on May 3, 2016, for 24-Hour Giving Challenge Benefitting 383 Local Nonprofits

Columbia, SC, April 26, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Central Carolina Community Foundation invites the public to join more than 380 nonprofits and supporters at Midlands Gives Headquarters in the brand new Spirit Communications Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies, located in the BullStreet development in downtown Columbia, S.C., on Tuesday, May 3, from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. Online giving for the third annual 24-hour giving challenge opens at midnight May 3 and closes 24 hours later at Midlands Gives dot org.

Midlands Gives Headquarters will host a day full of free, family-friendly interactive events, including a Nonprofit Marketplace featuring tables manned by 70 local nonprofits from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; the Mayors’ Pitching Contest from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring 9 Midlands mayors and sponsored by Nephron; food and drink concessions during lunch, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., as well as beer and wine during Happy Hour, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; live broadcasts by local TV and radio stations throughout the day; a live concert during happy hour  (starting at 5:00 p.m.) by the nonprofit Heart n’ Soul band; and more. Parking is free and admission is free to come and visit Midlands Gives Headquarters on May 3.

The Foundation will offer online giving stations with live assistance on-site. Donations to the 383 participating nonprofits will be tracked live on the real-time leaderboard, which will be displayed on the Columbia Fireflies jumbotron screen over the field and online at Midlands Gives dot org.

In its third year, Midlands Gives – hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation, the Midlands’ expert on philanthropy – serves as a hub for donors to give online to 383 local nonprofits in the 11 Midlands counties served by the Foundation. In 2015, Midlands Gives raised an astonishing $1,543,032.65 million for 251 charities, up from $704,932.23 raised for 150 nonprofits in 2014, the event’s inaugural year. Midlands Gives is one of almost 100 giving days that will be taking place in cities across America as part of Give Local America.

To give on May 3, donors simply visit Midlands Gives dot org, select their nonprofits of choice from the easy, catalog of 383 participating local charities, and enter credit card information to make a minimum donation of $20 or higher to each. Donors can give to one charity or select multiple charities to receive gifts in one secure transaction. All funds donated during Midlands Gives will go directly to each donor’s chosen nonprofits, minus credit card and processing fees. The Community Foundation does not take a percentage fee from Midlands Gives.

The new Corporate Philanthropy Champion program has engaged the local business community; tax-deductible gifts can have an even bigger impact by helping nonprofits win prizes and bonus funds throughout the day such as “Power Hours” and “Match Minutes.” Approximately 19 businesses are donating more than $95,000 in additional prizes for Midlands Gives 2016, a 200% increase from previous years. Major prizes are sponsored by Aflac, SCE&G, BB&T, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and Colonial Life. Bonus pools from regional endowments will amplify donations in Orangeburg and Calhoun, Chapin, Kershaw and Sumter Counties. ​

The Midlands Gives official Twitter hashtag is #MidlandsGives; Central Carolina Community Foundation can be tagged on Twitter as @CCCFTweets.

About Midlands Gives:

Midlands Gives is an annual 24-hour online giving challenge for local nonprofits, presented by Central Carolina Community Foundation. This year’s event will take place on May 3, 2016. For more information about Midlands Gives, visit Midlands Gives dot org or call 803-254-5601.

About Central Carolina Community Foundation:

Central Carolina Community Foundation – the Midlands’ expert on philanthropy – is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. Major initiatives include the Midlands Gives 24-hour giving challenge, Connected Communities grants, the One SC Flood Relief Fund, the Best of Philanthropy Awards, annual scholarships and more. For more information about the Foundation, visit Your Foundation dot org or call 803.254.5601.

Source: Central Carolina Community Foundation