MADISON—Community Shares of Wisconsin (CSW) today announced that it will receive the 2015 Outstanding Philanthropic Organization award from the Madison Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Each year the Outstanding Philanthropic Organization award is presented to an organization or foundation that demonstrates outstanding commitment through financial support and encouragement and motivation of others to take leadership roles in philanthropy and national, international and/or community involvement.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from the Madison Chapter of AFP,” said Community Shares of Wisconsin Executive Director Crystel Anders. “CSW has used innovative approaches to fund systemic change in this community for over 40 years.  Our success relies on the collaboration of many.  We share this honor with all the people that have believed in us and the critical work of our 67 member nonprofits.”

In March 2015 Community Shares launched the Madison-area’s first-ever online Giving Day, The Big Share.  In one single, day of giving, Community Shares and its member organizations collectively raised over $232,000 from 1,750 donors.  Though their participation, CSW member nonprofits raised much-needed funds to support their missions, while also increasing their skills and knowledge of online fundraising and social media engagement.

The Big Share is the most recent example of Community Shares’s long history of building collaborative fundraising movements. The oldest social action fund in the country, CSW is a vital force for change.  CSW has focused on innovative efforts to democratize philanthropy–pooling the resources of many small donations to make big change. Other examples include the Community CHIP Program at the Willy Street Co-op, the Round Up program at Capitol Centre Market, and collaborative fundraising campaigns in public and private workplace giving sites across the area.

“We see our work as connecting people with the causes they most value,” Anders said. “This award acknowledges the power of engaged philanthropy.” She added, “To be honored by your peers in the field is especially rewarding.  All the staff at Community Shares of Wisconsin are passionate about creating change in our community.”

Community Shares of Wisconsin—together with its donors and member nonprofits—works to build a fair, just community and protect our environment.  To learn more about Community Shares of Wisconsin, visit their website: www.communityshares.com.

The Outstanding Philanthropic Organization award will be presented as part of AFP Madison’s 2015 National Philanthropy Day Celebration on November 13. Philanthropy Day recognizes and pays tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy—and those people active in the philanthropic community—have made to our lives, our communities, and our world. Learn more about AFP Madison and Philanthropy Day on the AFP Madison website:  afpmadison.afpnet.org.