Last week, about $2.2 million was donated to hundreds of Arizona nonprofits in just 24 hours as part of Arizona Gives Day, according to preliminary numbers.

Arizona Gives Day is an annual 24-hour campaign that prompts the community to donate to over one thousand nonprofits from across Arizona on a single-day in order to boost each nonprofits’ mission.

The millions in donations poured in from many different folks to their nonprofit of choice on Tuesday, April 4 for Arizona Gives Day.

“Arizona Gives Day’s intent is to unite Arizonans around causes they believe in, raise awareness about the important work the nonprofit sector is doing and build a spirit of philanthropy in our communities,” said Jennifer Purcell, director of Community Engagement at the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers Forum collaborate on Arizona Gives Day.

The campaign has ran since 2013, raising $7.4 million for nonprofits between its first year and 2016.

This year was a banner year, with a record number of registered nonprofits for Arizona Gives Day at 1,028 participating groups. Out of those nonprofits, 872 of them raised money on Arizona Gives Day, which is a new record for the campaign, Purcell said.

There were more than 90 prizes given out this year to participating nonprofits ranging from $250 to $10,000, according to Purcell.

From 2015 to 2016 Arizona Gives Day grew by 25 percent, exposing nonprofits to many community members as they look to give to a nonprofit of their choice.

Arizona Gives Day
A look at the Post-it note mural from inside the FirstBank Branch. Volunteers from Valley of the Sun United Way, Voices for CASA Children and Rosie’s House worked on the mural. (Photo courtesy of FirstBank)

The yearly nonprofit campaign hopes to prompt the community to “invest in Arizona” by giving to vital organizations that help grow the local community.

“Arizona Gives Day is not only helping to raise money for these nonprofits to help fulfill their missions, but it is also introducing new donors to the nonprofit that they can then begin to cultivate throughout the coming years,” said Kristen Merrifield, CEO, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.

According to a 2016 report examining the economic impact nonprofits have on Arizona, Arizona’s nonprofit sector generates 8 percent of the state’s Gross State Product. And nonprofits are Arizona’s fifth largest non-government employer, according to the report.

Individual donations from the community wasn’t the only support Arizona Gives Day received on April 4. Many local businesses gathered to support the 24-hour campaign, including an upcoming AZ BIG Media publication, Az Business Angels.

Arizona Gives Day’s presenting sponsor, FirstBank, gave an extra helping hand the day before Arizona Gives Day, by paying-it-forward.

The bank’s regional presidents went undercover at a local Fry’s Food Store, posing as cashiers. They paid the bill for several customers so they could spend the money on Arizona Gives Day.

A FirstBank branch was also host to a Post-it Note mural, which had the names of the hundreds of nonprofits you can give to written on each note, which spelled out “Gives Day azgives.org April 4”.

Did you miss out on your chance to give on Arizona Gives Day? Don’t worry, because you can still use its platform to donate to an Arizona nonprofit of your choice. The money just won’t go towards the official Arizona Gives Day tally, until next year.