For the first time ever, members of 100 Good Guys and 100 Women Who Care St. Petersburg hosted an event together.
There was no day more fitting than Giving Tuesday – which is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
St. Pete’s Big Give, held at the Palladium Theater, allowed both organizations to collectively raise more than $50,000. This “exceeded our goals,” said 100 Good Guys co-founder Joseph “JP” Papich.
It was only a matter of time for the partnership. The women’s organization was the catalyst that led to the creation of 100 Good Guys in 2023.
Both have the same format. At each event the organizations host, each member donates $100. Three nonprofits then pitch their missions and members vote to determine how much money each receives. One will be given a majority of the funds and earn the Impact Award.
The two organizations combined have raised over $600,000 prior to the St. Pete’s Big Give event. “We get to have a bigger impact, support more nonprofits and provide more funding to touch lives by coming together,” Papich explained.
The three nonprofits that presented were the Pineapple Projects, Mindful Movement Florida and Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg.
The Pineapple Projects, which received the Impact Award and $25,000, provides home interior and essential items to individuals and families who are experiencing hardships in Pinellas County.
Mindful Movement Florida develops youth and adult programs, such as yoga classes and meditation sessions, to encourage mental wellbeing, emotional growth and resilience. The organization received $15,000.
Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg, which was given $10,000, offers programs to help young people thrive in academics, make healthy lifestyle choices and prepare for future careers. The central goal is to support at-risk youth so that they can become productive adults, according to the organization’s website.
“I think when we team up with the women, it’s particularly powerful because we then raise awareness so that people know that there’s always a place to go and it makes it easier to give back,” said Dzuy Nguyen, who serves on 100 Good Guys’ marketing and selection committees.
Papich and Nguyen hope to continue to collaborate with 100 Women Who Care in the future.
Often, people donate funds online to charities and causes that matter the most to them on Giving Tuesday, Papich explained. In-person events like St. Pete’s Big Give can make philanthropy more of a community and live experience.
“I think that this programming and its specific format is unique in its ability to connect foundations, philanthropists, couples, individuals, nonprofit leaders and the business community,” he continued.
“We make a casual connection between multiple nonprofits, their boards, the people who care about them and the funders go on to create new collaborations because of the interactions that happened.”