Today, at 12 Noon EST, nineteen pioneering Jewish outreach organizations from across the globe have launched what is the first-ever online Jewish giving day: #Millionforoutreach, and with possibly the highest stakes. They are raising between $20,000 to $180,000 individually, with a collective total goal of more than $1 Million. All donations are being quadrupled.

But it’s all or NOTHING.

Not just for each organization reaching its own goal, but if one organization doesn’t reach its goal, none of the organizations will collect any of theirs.

“My goal in proposing the condition was to utilize the power of areyvus,” said group organizer, Tobey Finkelstein. “If an organization can go into an ambitious fundraising campaign like this with both the possibility of losing all their work or tanking their friend’s work, they have to be confident in themselves and ready to trust or put themselves out for their colleague’s success.  Instead of the expected territorialness or competitiveness you might expect to see, these organizations were exchanging their Hebrew names to daven for one another before the launch. Mi c’amcha Yisrael.”

The Association for Jewish Outreach Organizations (AJOP) sponsored the venture. According to Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraun, National Director of AJOP, “This ambitious event is designed to increase support for the participating organizations, allowing them to spend more of their time on outreach, and less time on fundraising.

‘At the same time, we hope to give hundreds of people who would give a gift to kiruv a chance to show their support, as well as encourage new donors who have an affinity for kiruv and would give $10, $18, or $100 if they had an easy way to do it. Here, we’re quadrupling their gift! At the end of the day, donors at all levels will see how significant their support is and that they are partners in a much bigger picture – their donation to a local organization will help leverage $1 Million for the Klal.”

The participating organizations range from massive college outreach programs to small shuls. All of the men and women behind these and every other Jewish outreach organization teach, host, role model, counsel, support, cater, and parent hundreds to thousands of students, congregants, and guests. “They literally dedicate their lives to their work, which benefits our entire people, for generations,” comments Tobey. “Offering them the opportunity to pilot a crowdfunding venture that would not only save them precious time from soliciting support, but would also enable those they work with and the community-at-large to give back to them, was a privilege.”

The #MillionforOutreach Campaign capitalizes on an innovative collaborative crowdfunding model to increase attention, communal support, and large donor investment for their cause. Each of the outreach organizations is using an innovative online crowdfunding platform: charidy.com.

• All donations are quadrupled. The online pledges on the day of the fundraiser will be matched by three donors each organization lined up in advance, which will quadruple each gift.
• All or nothing. However, if the organizations do not meet their online goals, none of the pledges are processed or collected – for ANY of the organizations.
• 24 hours. The online goal must be met within 24 hours, leaving no time for donors to procrastinate.
• JACKPOT Fund. For donors interested in giving to all organizations at once, this fund will be distributed equally over and above the fundraising goals of each organization, after all goals are met.

To view the participating organizations and live campaign, go to www.charidy.com/millionforoutreach.