(Editor's Note: For coverage of the first part of ExtraGive 2024, click here.)
The confetti sprayed into the air at the stroke of midnight, and the digital display registered the grand total for the 2024 ExtraGive: $9,871,308.
"We came together," Lancaster County Community Foundation President Sam Bressi exclaimed to the crowd gathered at the Lancaster County Convention Center.
"We invested in each other. We invested in the future."
The ExtraGive is Lancaster's one-day, 24-hour fundraising event for nonprofits, held annually the Friday before Thanksgiving. More than 24,000 donors contributed this year, funding 444 nonprofit organizations.
A few handful of last-minute donations were posted Saturday morning, pushing the total to $9,877,239.
The nearly $9.9 million raised is an 11% increase over 2023, putting the ExtraGive back on the upswing after two years in which fundraising declined. The event has raised more than $110 million since its inception in 2012.
The Lancaster County Community Foundation organizes the ExtraGive each year with support from the High Foundation, Murry Foundation and other sponsors.
"It's overwhelming and inspiring to see our community come out to support each other," said Tracy Cutler, the foundation's executive vice president.
This year, the community foundation was conducting its preparations for ExtraGive in the midst of putting on multiple events in connection with its 100th anniversary. It has made for a busy year, Cutler said, but the team planned ahead and worked strategically.
The ExtraGive culminates each year with the ExtraGive Fest at the Lancaster County Convention Center. New this year were Latin dance lessons from the Mambojaz Dance Co. and a "glow dance" with glowsticks, both of which bolstered the crowds on the dance floor.
Venues countywide hosted Extra Give events throughout Friday evening. At Hub 450 in Lancaster, Neighbors Community Center brought together a group of partner nonprofits for a multicultural expo, "The Joy of Community."
The center is a project of Eastern Mennonite Missions. The expo was its first time bringing in other organizations for an ExtraGive event, and it was a success, with robust turnout, Neighbors Community Center Director Timm Wenger said.
Church World Service had a table at the expo. ExtraGive is one of the organization's favorite time of the year, said Rachel Helwig, associate director of development and community engagement.
CWS raised the fifth largest total amount, finishing with $173,722, according to the ExtraGive leaderboard. The nonprofit is grateful and humbled by the community's commitment and support, Helwig said.
The top fundraiser this year was the Lancaster Conservancy, which raised $517,410. Between it and CWS were WaterStreet Missoin ($299,005), Our Mother of Perpetual Help School ($235,032) and Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue In. ($175,727).
The top organization by number of individual donors was Children Deserve a Chance Foundation | Attollo, with 1,304 contributors.
At Lancaster Science Factory, hundreds of children enjoyed a "Creative Community STEAM Fair," put on in partnership with Thaddeus Stevens College of Techology, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, High and Mantec, an organization that promotes manufacturing in south-central Pennsylvania.
Activities included 3D printing, a mask and puppet making lab, virtual welding and e-sports demonstrations. Support from UPMC allowed the Science Factory to offer free admission, director of programs and communications Amanda Bakay said.
In one corner, Cassie Boyce, 9, was exploring a virtual reality world through a pair of Oculus goggles.
"We love it here," her mother, Alejandra, said. "We come here every year."
"The ExtraGive is something we're really proud to host," Cutler said. Over its history, she said, the community has embraced it, fostering a spirit "we could never have created on our own."
Noting that the 2024 ExtraGive finished just shy of $10 million, Bressi pledged to exceed that amount in 2025.
"It's going to be awesome," he said, "just like it is today."
(Editor's Note: This story has updated to note the amended total as of Saturday morning.)
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