BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gives is underway now, with more than 650 nonprofits are signed up from all over the state. The event kicked off Thursday and runs through May 6.
Last year alone, more than 18,000 unique donors gave $3.9 million to 634 nonprofits.
Since it started in 2013, Idaho Gives has raised more than $12 million. Initially a one-day event, Idaho Gives was extended to two weeks last year due to the pandemic, and will be one week this year.
"We jumped into that two weeks last year, and afterward we talked to everyone involved - our donors, our donors, our nonprofits, our media partners - and it seemed like everyone appreciated that extra time," said program manager Summer DuPree. "So we re-evaluated and decided just because we've always done it one day doesn't mean we have to keep doing it one day, and we want to make sure we're giving the nonprofits everything they need. So we decided to split that difference and not do a day, but not quite do two weeks either."
DuPree said that even though the coronavirus pandemic is slowing down in Idaho as more and more residents get vaccinated, charities still need help this year.
"A lot of organizations managed to keep their doors open, and that's wonderful, but now they have to keep their doors open for another year," she said. "They have a lot of needs happening that they missed out on from this past year. So there's a big struggle."
To make a donation or check out the nonprofits participating in Idaho Gives this year, visit www.idahogives.org.
Watch more of Idaho Gives
See the latest updates from this year's Idaho Gives campaign in our YouTube playlist: