GiveNOLA Day: Annual Fundraising Event Powered by Donations of All Sizes

NEW ORLEANS — GiveNOLA Day, the annual day of philanthropy organized by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, isn’t about the billionaires. Instead, the online giving event relies on donations of all sizes from lots and lots of supporters to be successful.

Last year’s event raised a record $7.9 million for 947 regional nonprofits from 57,000 online contributions. The funds support initiatives across a 13-parish region in southeast Louisiana.

The most common gift amount? It’s $10.

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“Of course, there are people who make $1,000 or $5,000 gifts, but it’s usually the gifts between $10 and $100 that make up the majority of the giving,” said Andy Kopplin, GNO Foundation president and CEO. “And when you get a thousand gifts, it adds up. We’re trying to make sure that philanthropy is not just left to people like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. Although people like that make generous gifts, most of the money comes from middle class families right here in New Orleans who are giving generously because they believe in the causes.”

This year, there are 975 organizations participating in the GiveNOLA Day. These range from youth service providers to animal welfare groups to workforce training initiatives and arts organizations. Click here to see the list of participating organizations and make a contribution. The event continues through midnight on Tuesday, May 2.

Kopplin, who is featured on this week’s Biz Talks podcast, said that GiveNOLA Day debuted with the advent of online giving platforms — and it has made a significant regional impact in the decade since.

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“In conjunction with all of our partners, we have now raised $49 million over the last nine years,” he said. “It’s a tribute to the generosity of people of our region, who believe in the nonprofits that make a difference in our lives every day. On the first Tuesday of May every year, they have now made a habit of giving generously.”

Kopplin estimates that the fundraising event provided about 20% of GNO Foundation’s total fundraising in 2022. 

“We ask folks to reach into their pockets and give what they can to the nonprofit sector that is taking care of people in need, whether it’s through the food banks, homeless shelters or youth development programs — or the arts and culture organizations that inspire us,” he said. “There’s something for everybody, and we just want to reach out and call people’s attention to it.”

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Kopplin said GiveNOLA Day is a chance for everybody to do their part.

“Everybody can be a philanthropist,” he said. “There are people working really hard on the front lines. And this is a day we can all give to support them.”

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