Match Day 2014 raises more than $3 million for food, shelter agencies

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Thanks to the generosity of thousands in southeastern Wisconsin through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s third Match Day event, $3,004,228 was raised to support 20 area food and shelter agencies.

The special online giving event, which was coordinated by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, raised $1,885,278 from 5,233 individuals and $360,150 from Foundation donors.

Those gifts were proportionately matched with money from a pool of $750,800 in matching funds from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and many donors, including co-sponsors Brewers Community Foundation and The Ceres Foundation, and more than two dozen other contributors. The Brewers Community Foundation also contributed $8,000 for this year’s Golden Ticket promotion. The result was a total of more than $3 million.

“On behalf of the entire Foundation, I want to thank everyone who helped make Match Day a great success for the third year,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “It’s heartwarming to see our community come together like this, and the donations made for this event will have a lasting impact on the organizations and the citizens they serve.”

Highlights from the 24-hour event: