HASTINGS, Neb. – 2024 is a year Give Hastings Day donors, organizers, and non-profits will remember for a long time.

Around 10 p.m. Thursday night, the online donation tracker spilled over the $1 million mark for the first time ever, and the preliminary final amount tallied at $1,077,116.

Hastings Community Foundation Executive Director Dan Peters saw non-profits come and go all day at Give Day Headquarters at The Lark in Downtown Hastings, and said the energy and support for these organizations was astronomical.

"It's so great to see that excitement when they come up and go 'Wow! We just got a gift from a new donor, or we've still got a few hours to go and I've already exceeded the goal we had for the entire day," said Peters. "They are just lit up with excitement."

52 of the 108 participating non-profits received over $5,000 each. Many of them say they wouldn’t be able to operate without this annual event.

"We rely solely on donations to stay open," said Start Over Rover Director Kelly Zubrod. "Give Hastings Day is our biggest fundraiser of the year."

"We are just so grateful for the community of Hastings and beyond," said Hastings Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Sara Tall. "There would be no Hastings Symphony Orchestra without Hastings and the support of the community."

While non-profits can receive grant funding and donations throughout the year, they’re not always guaranteed, which can limit the ability of staff, who may not even be paid to do their job. Another reason why give day is so important to these Adams County organizations.

"Last year we lost 30% of one of our most significant grants," said CASA of South Central Nebraska Executive Director RuAnn Root. "If it wasn't for the generosity and the teamwork from the Hastings Community Foundation and all of the volunteers that are behind the scenes, I'm not so sure we would've made ends meet financially."

In total, 5,327 unique donations were made to help Adams County non-profits keep providing their essential services to Central Nebraska.