As part of our ongoing work around increasing individual giving in Illinois, Forefront is thrilled to announce the opening of our 4th annual #ILGive campaign!

What: #ILGive is a 24-hour digital fundraising event that connects individuals with the causes that matter to them, and empowers donors to give to the local nonprofits that tackle our communities' most critical issues. #ILGive raises money for our communities, brings new donors, and increases awareness about local nonprofits while leveraging the national marketing of #GivingTuesday.

When: #ILGive 2017 begins at midnight and ends at 11:59 PM on #GivingTuesday, November 28th, 2017. Registration for participating must be completed by October 24th, 2017.   

Why: Participating in #ILGive is a great opportunity to capitalize on the energy of #GivingTuesday, use the momentum of #ILGive to amplify your year-end giving efforts, and acquire new donors and supporters who are looking to give on November 28!

The Back Story

#ILGive (pronounced 'I’ll Give') is a Forefront initiative dedicated to bringing nonprofits, businesses, grantmakers, and all Illinoisans together to celebrate generosity and to give. It’s a day to unite the Illinois nonprofit community, encourage the use of new tools and strategies for digital fundraising, as well as raise visibility and awareness about philanthropy and the impact it has in communities. Through #ILGive, Forefront mobilizes Illinois nonprofits and foundations to increase individual giving across the state. Last year, Illinois nonprofits raised a total of $11.3 million on #GivingTuesday, and the 400 nonprofits registered on Forefront's ILGive.com platform raised $1.3 million from 7,000 donors, many of them new to their organizations. 

How to Join the Campaign

To register, visit www.ilgive.com and click Register Now! The registration process is simple. Check out this step-by-step guide for instructions!

When you register for #ILGive:

• Your organization will be listed on the participating nonprofits page on ILGive.com.
• You’ll receive weekly emails full of campaign strategies, content and more to help prepare and implement your #ILGive campaign.
• Get access to a great Nonprofit Toolkit to help you prepare and promote your campaign.
• You’ll get notified about our upcoming webinars on digital fundraising, #ILGive campaign strategies, tutorials on the #ILGive/GiveGab platform, and more. 
• You’ll get free support from the #ILGive team!

Foundations can participate too! 

Corporate funders and foundations are an integral part of #ILGive! Foundations and Funders Support #ILGive in order to:

• Assist grantees in gaining more support – leveraging opportunities to partner with grantees.
• Collaborate with other funders and partners across sectors to assist the community.
• Offer their grantees matching grants.

Other resources:

– Read a recent report on how giving days benefit Community Foundations

– Check out our #ILGive Network Leader Toolkit

More questions? 

Find the #ILGive FAQ here, or contact Suzy Lee, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Forefront at slee@myforefront.org.