Generous donors break all-time records

By Christine Rogers

North Texans outraised last year’s North Texas Giving Day total at a time when philanthropic giving is down nationally for the first time in years (Source: Giving USA.) More than 97,000 donors turned up for causes they care about by donating $63.9 million to 3,249 nonprofits during the 15th annual North Texas Giving Day.

The 15th anniversary of CFT’s North Texas Giving Day raised $63.9 million for more than 3,250 nonprofits.
Photo by Can Turkyilmaz

The event, powered by Communities Foundation of Texas and presented by Amazon, drew donations ranging from $1 to $200,000 for nonprofits serving the 20-county North Texas region. One hundred percent of credit card fees are covered, so all dollars donated go directly to the nonprofits.

“While I am new to the North Texas community and CFT’s North Texas Giving Day, I am not new to the profound impact that generosity and giving have on our quality of life. Seeing North Texans’ legendary generosity up close and personal this Giving Day has been truly remarkable,” said Wayne White, the new president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas. 

North Texas Giving Day helps connect community givers with creative ways to support their favorite causes. Donors made meaningful gifts, like Paula who gave her entire piggybank, totaling $62.82 in bills and loose change, to MyPossibilities. The McManemin family created a secret “McManemin Matchmaker Prize” in partnership with CFT to award grants from their charitable fund at CFT to fulfill unmet nonprofits’ matching funds to help meet their goals. 

“The $63.9 million raised for more than 3,250 nonprofits this year brings North Texas Giving Day’s 15-year total to more than $560 million” White said. “Together, we are creating a ripple effect of impact across our community. The 15th anniversary of CFT’s North Texas Giving Day was certainly one for the record books. What a gift to be part of a community that in 15 years has given more than half a billion dollars to the nonprofits that support this region.”

To help drive and uplift this monumental year, the mayors of Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco and McKinney issued proclamations officially declaring September 21 North Texas Giving Day. 

The nationally recognized event on September 21 was preceded by 20 days of early giving and a “Cheers to 15 Years” celebration that included concerts across North Texas in both Arlington and The Colony; festivals in Allen, Dallas, Denton, and Plano; volunteering; and more. Donations this year came in from all 50 states and more than 40 non-U.S. countries.

Serving as the presenting sponsor since 2021, Amazon has participated in supporting nonprofits through gifts and prizes across North Texas. 

“At Amazon, community is at the heart of everything we do. We are honored to be the presenting sponsor of North Texas Giving Day again this year, and to put our resources to work elevating and supporting thousands of nonprofits through the nation’s largest regional day of giving,” said Vickie Yakunin, Head of Community Affairs at Amazon (Dallas Region). “On behalf of Amazon, I want to thank each of the givers who joined in to share their care by donating dollars and pledging volunteer hours. We’re proud to amplify their efforts and to help grow the spirit of giving in our community through North Texas Giving Day.”

Photo by Kim Leeson

Communities Foundation of Texas (pictured above) launched North Texas Giving Day in 2009, and it has since become the largest regional online giving event in the nation. The day has grown to span across 20 North Texas counties with past honorary chairs including former First Lady Laura Bush, Cynt Marshall and Dirk and Jessica Nowitzki. 

Communities Foundation of Texas is grateful for the generosity of donors who left tips as part of their North Texas Giving Day online transactions. This generosity, coupled with CFT’s community partners, enabled CFT to cover all credit card fees that would have been incurred by participating nonprofits.

The full list of this year’s results (sortable by organization name, total gifts, or total dollars) is listed at northtexasgivingday.org/giving-events/ntx23/leaderboards. 

Updated totals will be available after October 31.