• by Larissa Faw , November 6, 2014

Last year, online fundraising platform Kimbia's first national crowdfunding event, Give Local America, raised over $53 million in one day without any national PR, media or sponsorship.

Now for the second year, they are receiving top-level corporate support. Horizon Media and PR firm MWW are lending their services in order to double the organization's fundraising goal to reach $100 million in donations from corporate sponsors and consumers. 

Horizon Media, under its Scout Wellness division, will develop partnerships with national media partners and sponsors to drive awareness for the May 5, 2015 event. "Our relationship with our media partners, our clients and the industry and our ability to help package Give Local America into a relevant story and integrated sponsorship activation to drive more fundraising is our key role," Rich Abend, managing director, Scout Wellness, a division of Horizon Media. 

At the same time, Scout seeks to combine corporate social responsibility (CSR) with media, marketing, and sponsorship. "We are asking brands to support Give Local America through its CSR, marketing and employee giving initiatives," says Abend. "That’s never easy. We’re also asking for many of the community foundations and non-profits to shift giving initiatives to coincide with Give Local America. There simply is power in everyone joining forces to drive awareness about this important initiative."

MWW's expertise with CSR initiatives will craft the narrative around all communication to the industry, the community foundations and to consumers.

"MWW is equipping the initiative with a team of communications and community-engagement experts who are helping GLA connect with key audiences to share their past success and future goals of raising $100 million for local communities in 2015, and ultimately creating a movement that results in an annual $1 Billion Giving Day," says MWW CEO Michael Kempner.