Events

Lawmakers moved Tuesday to ensure that S.C. churches, schools and nonprofits do not unknowingly break the law when they hold charitable raffles.

Legislation, approved by a Senate committee Tuesday, would change the state Constitution to allow the groups to hold a limited number of raffles and casino nights annually — as long as 90 percent of the money raised goes to benefit charitable causes.

The game show "Jeopardy!" may be focused on trivia, but winnings of an upcoming competition will benefit humanitarian work.

"Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings will compete against fellow champion Brad Rutter and IBM's Watson computing system next month, with the windfalls going to charity.

The grand prize is $1 million, second place earns $300,000 and third place earns $200,000. Jennings and Rutter will donate half of their winnings to charity, and IBM will donate 100 percent of its winnings to charity.

Nonprofit brand strategy consultant Michele Levy provided 11 marketing communications best practices that fundraisers should utilize in their communications strategies in a recent webinar, Ten Marketing Communications Activities You Must Do.

America SCORES Seattle, a nonprofit after-school soccer and literacy program, will be the beneficiary of the Sounders FC Guest Bartender Night at The Great Nabob on Tuesday January 18th at 6pm. This fun event will feature Sounders FC players off the pitch and behind the bar, all to support SCORES.

Community Options, a national nonprofit organization that supports people with disabilities, is working to promote greater health and wellness this Valentines Day. The organization has put together a national 5K Run, Cupids Chase, which will take place in 24 cities across 10 states on February 12, 2011.

Mary Pat Christie, First Lady of New Jersey, is the Honorary National Chairperson of Cupids Chase. Christie is working with Community Options to bring greater awareness to the cause and promote corporate social responsibility and health and wellness.

At the Alternative Gift Fair checks and cash turned into donations for the charities that were represented there.

For the past 12 years, the holiday event has supported an array of local and international charities. Shoppers, for example, can make a gift that will pay for formula for infants in Malawi through the African Mothers Health Initiative, a school lunch that Pueblo a Pueblo will provide to youngsters in Guatemala, or a rafting trip the Sierra Club will offer to needy inner-city kids.

Chris Ulmer turned his passion for running into a fundraising drive for Teach for America, asking supporters to donate money for each one of the 250 miles he plans to run from Penn State to his home in Willow Grove, Pa., upon graduation.

On Nov. 16, 2010, GiveMN shattered our goal of 40,000 donors in 24 hours by engaging 42,596 unique donors who donated to their favorite nonprofits using the GiveMN.org platform on Give to the Max Day. All told, Minnesota nonprofits collectively raised $10,041,021 in one incredible day.

Since our outreach efforts focused on providing nonprofits with social media resources, email templates and content such as a video PSA for use on their homepages, it would seem those efforts paid off when it came to driving traffic.

Hundreds of Denver-area nonprofit organizations are hoping for a generous outpouring of gifts during Colorado Gives Day, a 24-hour online charity drive beginning at midnight Wednesday.

Colorado Gives Day is an inaugural program of the Community First Foundation, an organization devoted to raising money for nonprofit groups in the seven counties of metro Denver.

Gifts will be accepted through GivingFirst.org, which allows donors to browse a database of more than 500 charities. Organizers are hoping to raise $1 million during the 24-hour drive.

Blackbaud announced that Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation selected Blackbaud Friends Asking Friends® as the online and offline event management solution for its newest fundraising event, Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. The Foundation, which supports Canada’s leading cancer research institution, Princess Margaret Hospital, is using Friends Asking Friends combined with an innovative social media campaign to expand its supporter base and raise money for cancer research.