Russell Simmons may be best known for co-founding Def Jam Records with famed producer Rick Rubin. He also co-founded the RushCard, a prepaid Visa with a goal to “provide financial freedom and access long denied to an underserved population.” RushCard has now teamed with crowdfunding platform CrowdRise in launching a new campaign and challenge called #RiseToThrive.
We first reported on the #RiseToThrive challenge back in early September. The contest aimed to issue $40,000 in prizes to the three most successful participating non-profits crowdfunding on CrowdRise. Participating charities raised more than $308,000 in vying for $50,000 in awards from RushCard.
“We’re thrilled that thousands of people across the country have risen to the occasion and raised tons of money to support these important charities,” said Russell Simmons, co-founder of RushCard. “RushCard is proud to support the people and organizations that are inspiring change in their communities and making a difference in our world.”
The winners h
ave now been announced and are as follows…
- $25k grant, First Place (raised $86,150) — Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO), a 47-year old non-profit organization dedicated to helping people in underserved communities realize the American Dream through entrepreneurship
- $10k grant, Second Place (raised $69,402) – Students for Service, an inspiring organization that partners with non-profits in New York City to address hunger, poverty, and the environment.
- $5k grant, Third Place (raised $41,228) – Move for Hunger, an organization the works with relocation companies across America to support local food banks.
“The #RiseToThrive Challenge was an amazing opportunity to galvanize our supporters in a short period of time in a way that would have been tough for us to do on our own,” said WIBO Board Chair Dan Hoffman. “The RiseToThrive Challenge worked.”