Sumter, Lee and Clarendon county nonprofits will participate in 10th-annual Midlands Gives fundraiser

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Nonprofits throughout Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties will be some of the more than 570 organizations to participate in the 10th-annual Midlands Gives Day.

After raising a record-breaking $3.73 million in 2022, Central Carolina Community Foundation welcomes more than 570 nonprofits based in South Carolina for its 10th-annual Midlands Gives Day on May 2.

Central Carolina Community Foundation, a nonprofit, is "the Midlands' leader in collaborative philanthropy," serving 11 counties by distributing grants and scholarships as well as linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need.

Its annual 18-hour online giving challenge has raised nearly $19.7 million for hundreds of local nonprofits in the Midlands since its inception in 2014. It has strived to help amplify their impact, administer public services and improve quality of life in the Midlands, according to CCCF. Nonprofits are grouped into 10 categories on the Midlands Gives website - animals, arts and culture, community improvement, education and scholarships, environment, faith-based, health, human services, veterans and military and youth development - and can be filtered by Black-led, Black-benefiting or county.

There are 26 nonprofits participating in Midlands Gives this year across Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties.

In Sumter, participating nonprofits are The Advocacy Family Resource Center, Project Josiah Restoration Ministry, Sumter Family YMCA, Jake Koenigsdorf Foundation Inc., Sumter Senior Services, Go Baby Go, Sumter Habitat for Humanity and Sumter United Ministries, Shiloh Project Lift, Liberty STEAM Charter School, Ragin Preparatory Christian Academy, Central Carolina Technical College, Pandemic Patients, CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust), Sumter Pregnancy Center, Sumter Salvation Army, Helping South Carolina, Saving Sumter's Strays, Sumter County Gallery of Art, Sumter County Museum and Sumter Black Chamber of Commerce.

In Clarendon, Neon One Test Organization, Bella's Tail Waggin Rescue and RBA Corporation are participating.

Life Empowerment Community Outreach and Lee County Council on Aging Inc. are participating in Lee County.

"We are proud to celebrate 10 years of Midlands Gives," said JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of CCCF. "Over the past decade, thousands of everyday philanthropists have come together to invest nearly $20 million in their local communities by supporting hundreds of nonprofits."

Individuals can increase their impact by creating personal giving campaigns to raise money for the local nonprofit. After selecting a Midlands Gives nonprofit and setting a fundraising goal, individuals can customize the page with a personal story and banner image. On May 2, Midlands Gives Day, users can raise money by sharing their fundraising page on social media and directly to family and friends.

Those eager to donate can participate in Early Giving for Midlands Day, which began on April 1. All donations made now through May 3 will count toward leaderboard totals and make nonprofits eligible for various prizes. The platform will return to regular year-round giving on May 4.

To view the full list of participating nonprofits and their missions, visit MidlandsGives.org/Nonprofits.

The virtual giving event will begin on May 2 from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. at MidlandsGives.org.