Hartford area nonprofits have raised $43,352 in Round One of the bracket-style fundraising tournament, and West Hartford-based Mental Health Connecticut is one of 32 moving on to Round Two.

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Brackets for Good, making its debut in Hartford this month, has helped Hartford area nonprofit organizations raise an astonishing $43,352 in just the first week of the month-long competitive fundraising tournament. A total of 15 local nonprofits raised more than $1,000 during the week.

Thirty-two nonprofit organizations have now advanced to Round 2 of the tournament, which ends next Friday at 8 p.m. The week-long first round of on-line fundraising, which included 60 nonprofit organizations, began last Friday and ended tonight at 8 p.m.

One of the nonprofits moving on to Round 2 is Mental Health Connecticut, which has state headquarters in West Hartford on South Main Street. They raised $1,387 in Round 1, winning the match-up with Wheeler Clinic by $73.

Eleven cities across the country are conducting Brackets for Good tournaments this year, with the support of local businesses. In the first week, only Indianapolis and Louisville saw more charitable donations than Hartford, which surpassed eight other cities in contributions to the 60 nonprofits that participating in the first round. The Hartford tournament is presented by Stanley Black & Decker.

Participating nonprofits rally enthusiastic donors to out-fundraise their opponents in order to advance. Competing nonprofits keep donations received during tournament play, no matter how many rounds they advance. The field narrows each week, and a champion is determined on March 31. The winning organization receives an additional $10,000 Championship grant.

Among the Hartford nonprofits participating, Hartford City Mission and Children’s Law Center of CT each raised more than $6,000 during Round One. Another, The First Tee of Connecticut, raised more than $3,500. Twelve others raised more than $1,000: Boys & Girls Club of Bristol, The Mark Twain House & Museum, KNOX – People, Planting, Programs, Mental Health Connecticut, Wheeler Clinic, Home for the Aged of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Tunxis Community College Foundation, Community Partners in Action, Farmington Public School Foundation, Hartford Food System, Lao American New Generation Inc. and the Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation.

Round 2 features 16 head-to-head match-ups among 32 nonprofit organizations – they all begin the round even; points from Round 1 do not carry over, although the organization retains the funds raised. The website hartford.bfg.org provides information on the participating nonprofit organizations and the updates on their weekly fundraising efforts.

Brackets For Good – Hartford 2017 sponsors include: Stanley Black & Decker, Aetna, Express Strategies, Lids, Supporting Strategies, Bloomerang, and The Perfect Promotion.

Brackets For Good – Hartford 2017 presented by Stanley Black & Decker, has the following nonprofits moving on to Round 2:

1. Achieve Hartford! LLC
2. Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Family Center
3. Capital City Education Alliance
4. Center for Children’s Advocacy
5. Civics First, Inc.
6. Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA)
7. Community Partners in Action
8. Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding
9. Connecticut Humane Society
10. Connecticut Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America
11. Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF)
12. Farmington Public School Foundation
13. Friends of Holcomb Farm
14. Girls For Technology
15. Hartford 2000, Inc.
16. Hartford City Mission
17. Hartford Food System Inc.
18. Home for the Aged of the Little Sisters of the Poor
19. MARCH, Inc. of Manchester
20. MARC, Inc. of Manchester
21. Mental Health Connecticut, Inc.
22. Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation
23. My Sisters’ Place, Inc.
24. New Britain Museum of American Art
25. Pathways/Senderos Center
26. REACH Newtown Inc.
27. The First Tee of Connecticut
28. The iQuilt Plan
29. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
30. The Mark Twain House & Museum
31. True Colors, Inc. Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services of CT
32. Tunxis Community College Foundation

Online contributions to the Hartford area nonprofit organizations that have reached Round 2 is now underway, at hartford.bfg.org.

About BRACKETS FOR GOOD

Brackets For Good is an Indianapolis, IN based 501(c)3 charitable organization focused on activating new donors, and increasing awareness for other nonprofit organizations through competitive, online fundraising at no cost. Since the inaugural tournament in 2012, new awareness, fundraising capacity, and over $2.75 Million dollars has been raised for hundreds of charitable organizations across the country in an innovative and fun way. For more information, visit bfg.org. Participating cities in 2017 are Ann Arbor, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Hartford, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Nashville, St. Louis, and Twin Cities.