The United Way of Rhode Island's annual online fundraising event,  401Gives Day, starts this morning – a day earlier than usual.

Cortney Nicolato, president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island, answered our questions about this year's fundraising drive, which will last for 36 hours.

Q: What is 401Gives Day and why does it matter?

Nicolato: 401Gives, powered by the Alliance for Nonprofit Impact at United Way of RI, is the largest giving initiative in support of our state’s nonprofit sector. It was created in 2020 to lift up Rhode Island nonprofits and provide a unified platform in which they can share the impact of their work and inspire donations to support that work. Utilizing an online giving program where each participating nonprofit has their own customizable page to share their story, it harnesses the power of social media and peer-to-peer fundraising to drive philanthropy and deepen Rhode Island’s culture of giving. Nonprofits intersect with all of our lives and are essential to what makes Rhode Island special, and 401Gives makes it easy for anyone, anywhere, to support the causes important to them in one place. I’m thrilled to say 401Gives continues to grow year-over-year.

Why is 401Gives Day taking place a day earlier this year?

This is a great question. Traditionally, 401Gives kicks off on April 1, a play on its name and also paying homage to Rhode Island’s only area code. This year, however, we’re getting started bright and early on March 31 to honor Passover. Giving opens as of 6 a.m. today and will continue until 6 p.m. on April 1, wrapping up just before sundown.

How much was raised during 401Gives Day last year?

Last year’s 401Gives was our biggest yet, setting new highs across the board. We topped $4.9 million raised for 644 different Rhode Island nonprofits, and saw the day inspire 31,486 individual donations. All told, 401Gives has raised more than $18.6 million in its six years.

Can you give us examples of three nonprofits that raised a significant amount of money last year?

What’s really great about 401Gives is that it’s not only about donations, but also about visibility for organizations that are essential to everyday life in our state. That said, we’ve seen some tremendous fundraising results. Last year, 111 different nonprofits raised $10,000 or more.
Leading the way was Foster Forward with $338,569 raised, followed by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at $165,573, and Audubon Society of Rhode Island with $131,641.

What is the overall fundraising goal this year?

This year is our most ambitious goal yet – we’re aiming to raise $5 million in just 36 hours.

How many nonprofits are taking part in 401Gives Day this year?

We have 711 Rhode Island nonprofits participating in 401Gives this year, which is more than we’ve ever had before. Of those, 106 organizations are taking part for the first time.

Are there matching funds available during 401Gives Day this year?

Yes, and more than any previous year. Matching funds have become an integral part of 401Gives. There is more than $105,000 in matching funds available this year, beginning with a $20,000 match offered by the Papitto Opportunity Connection at 6 a.m., a $25,000 Rhode Island
Energy match at noon, and a $20,000 match by the Rhode Island Foundation that kicks off at 4:01 p.m. And there are literally dozens of other prizes throughout the day, many specifically for micro and small nonprofits who do a great job leveraging them to maximize support and build relationships with new donors.

Finally, I know you are a big URI women’s basketball fan. What did you think of the team going to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 30 years? And what is URI going to do without Coach Tammi Reiss, who’s leaving for the University of Florida?

This was an awesome year for URI women’s basketball . Every game was must-see TV and reaching the NCAAs was a tremendous accomplishment. And while the outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, I think it’s impossible to call the season anything but a success. Tammi did an incredible job reigniting the program and we are so fortunate to have had her these past seven seasons. There is no question she is leaving URI women’s basketball stronger today than when she arrived and I’ll be rooting for her in Florida – as long as they aren’t playing my Rams. I’m also excited to welcome new head coach Colleen Mullen and see how she builds on that momentum.