Voting is underway to select a winner for the 2017 24-Hour Give!
Outside of the monetary value attached to the donated goods and services, it’s hard to define exactly what the 24-Hour Give brings to a nonprofit – because the impact looks different for each one.
So, we decided the best way to explain it is to introduce you to our past three winners! We reached out to the directors of each of these nonprofits to ask what the experience meant to them and their organizations.
Working overnight for an organization certainly develops a strong bond, and each of these nonprofits has a very special place in our hearts. We love keeping in touch with them and seeing how they continue to impact our community in inspiring ways.
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2014: OP C.O.Y., a residential sports camp that utilizes sports as a teaching tool for at-risk, adolescent males.
“In addition to getting to know and work with the wonderful staff at Verdin, one of the most rewarding aspects was the tremendous boost in confidence and pride that we received from the rebrand.”
Directors Gary and Donna Davis say that they immediately used the updated logo, website, videos, and other collateral in their fundraising efforts. One of these events was a golf tournament and dinner in May 2015, for which they utilized their printing and media spot credits from a host of local sponsors.
“It was an honor to be the first nonprofit to benefit from Verdin’s 24-Hour Give. It will be an experience that we will always treasure. We are so happy to see that the event continues to help nonprofits in San Luis Obispo County.”
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2015: Literacy for Life (formerly known as SLO Literacy Council), an organization that empowers adult learners and their families to develop English language communication skills.
“In the time since the 24-Hour Give, the work our organization does hasn’t changed a bit… but what has changed is the number of people who know about us, support us, and maybe more importantly, who understand what we do.”
Bernadette Bernardi explains that their name change has resonated well, and their organization has been better understood by community members. With the name change came a new, improved brand identity that according to Bernadette, lent them the “hip factor [they] just didn’t have.”
“The board was reminded of how integral our work is in the community. Volunteers got reconnected, and remembered the impact we have on people’s lives beyond just the day-to-day work. They all seemed to beam with pride that our organization earned such a big prize.”
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2016: Meals That Connect (formerly known as Senior Nutrition Program of San Luis Obispo County), an organization that provides hot noontime meals and invaluable companionship for seniors within our community every day.
“It feels like the rebranding has given us a new life with some excitement that was missing with Senior Nutrition Program. There was a need for the rebranding, and what you did for our organization in the 24-Hour Give was more than I ever expected.”
Executive Director Elias Nimeh explained that the community reacted to the rebrand with very positive comments and even a noticeable increase in donations. Meals That Connect’s staff and board feel that the new name and brand identity is more in line with their mission.
“We continue to highlight it [our name] in all our communications. The ads in the Tribune provided more outreach we are growing faster and our donations have increased from previous years.”
