![[CREDIT: Warwick Post composite] Several Warwick charities are among dozens participating in the four-day 401 Gives fundraising drive online.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/401-Gives-Warwick-Charities.jpg)
A state-wide campaign to support local nonprofits, 401Gives offers everyone a chance to make a positive difference in the community. On April 1, 2025, the effort raised $4.9 million for 644 local nonprofits from over 19,000 donors. This year United Way began the fundraising a day early,
Organizations seeking help this year include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Warwick, whose leadership hopes for generosity from the public to keep up with costs. This will be the fifth year the BGCW, which has participated in the event since its start.
“In 2025, Club members benefited from nearly 5,000 hours of programming — from homework help and STEM exploration to athletics, arts, and leadership development. We also served more than 10,000 meals, helping fuel both bodies and minds.
Your gift provides:
- A safe place before and after school
- Caring mentors and positive role models
- Academic support and enrichment
- Healthy meals and snacks
- A place where kids can truly be themselves
On 401Gives, you have the power to help local kids learn, grow, and thrive. Will you stand with us? Because here in Warwick, we are here for them — because of YOU.”
Other Warwick charities participating in 401Gives this year include:
Warwick Charities: Warwick Center for the Arts
Our core commitment is to unite the community through the arts. Warwick Center for the Arts connects all ages and abilities through numerous forms of art, exhibits, educational programs, and cultural experiences. Emerging and established artists find a unique and inviting space in which to share their creative vision with the community.
Warwick Chartities: Warwick Symphony Orchestra
The Warwick Symphony Orchestra brings classical and orchestral pops performances to communities across Rhode Island. As a regional volunteer touring symphony, the WSO seeks to deliver high-quality live music and affordable performances to diverse communities. WSO ensures accessibility and appeals to a wide-ranging audience of varied backgrounds through programming that fluctuates between classical and orchestral pops.
Warwick Charities: Friends of the Warwick Animal Shelter
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riends of the Warwick Animal Shelter is dedicated to helping homeless animals at the shelter. We are an all-volunteer organization without staff or an office, so all donations and fundraising proceeds assist the shelter animals. In the last few years, FOWAS has spent a significant amount of money on unwanted animals and/or older animals that were brought to the shelter in poor health. Caring for all of these animals who still have a lot of love to give is possible due to donor support.
This year, the shelter shared the story of Cane Corso Triton on their Facebook page, who the shelter took in with his sister, Tori, after their owner died, emaciated, but very affectionate with people and each other – they like to play, sleep, walk, lay on the bed, always together. Triton needed emergency care at Ocean State Veterinary Clinic for bloat, a rapidly progressing emergency where the stomach fills with gas, fluid, or food and twists. This cuts off blood supply to the stomach and organs, leading to shock and death, painfully, in hours. OSCV performed the $7,000 surgery, saving his live, and now he and Tori have found a new, happy home.
“He could have died that day without the quick reaction of staff and the funds that our supporters give to FOWAS so we never have to choose who to help – every animal is helped. So on this last day of 401Gives, if you can make a donation, any amount helps, and know that your support will save lives, like handsome Triton. Thank you.”
Warwick Charities: Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick
BGCW keeps kids safe and working families working. Open to any child from anywhere, the Club creates brighter tomorrows for children and the entire community. During this Covid crisis, we have doubled down on doing whatever it takes to help kids overcome obstacles, including new problems such as increased anxiety & academic setbacks. Our proven programming is helping kids thrive – and have fun! By donating you improve the world of a child – and the future.
Warwick Charities: West Bay Chorale
West Bay Chorale started 44 years ago and we have enjoyed bringing top-notch choral music to the West Bay area. Under the direction of Artistic Director Eric W Van Dervort and Collaborative Accompanist John Boutcher, singers from all over RI perform two seasonal concerts plus community events like Gaspee Days, Scottish Rite memorial services, Wickford Arts Festival, and do community outreach at nursing homes.
Warwick Charities: Thrive Behavioral Health, Inc.
Thrive offers a comprehensive range of evidence based, personalized services to children, families and adults who have been impacted by mental illness, addiction or trauma. We provide mental health and substance abuse treatment, case management, housing services, crisis response services, and more. Our services are recovery focused. We help build resiliency in individuals. We provide clients with support, skills and tools to make positive and lasting change in their lives.
Warwick Charities: Pawtuxet River Authority
We’re the Pawtuxet River Authority & Watershed Council. We do things to improve the Pawtuxet River and its extended system of ponds and streams for both preservation of the environment and quality of life in Rhode Island. The Pawtuxet River is the largest river in Rhode Island beginning and ending within the state’s boundaries. Its dammed North Branch, the Scituate Reservoir, provides over 60% of Rhode Island’s drinking water and is the most pristine fresh river water in the state.
Since our creation in 1972, we have worked to help clean up the Pawtuxet River. We have created a number of public fishing and canoeing accesses throughout the watershed (check out “Our Places“). There are no longer industrial discharges into the Pawtuxet. Anglers enjoy fishing the river and anadromous fish return from the ocean to the first seven miles of our river since our dam removal project in Pawtuxet Village. The Pawtuxet System also now boasts the state record for largemouth bass and catfish, is stocked throughout the entire system with trout and holds the state’s largest population of smallmouth bass.
A few other state-wide charities hoping for a generous gift this year include:
The Coalition is currently working towards making youth homelessness a rare and temporary occurrence. We are dedicated to centering and empowering the voices of youth and young adults with lived experience of housing instability and homelessness. The Youth Action Board’s (YAB) expertise informs our work towards a more equitable, safe, and human centered housing system. The YAB is a group of 13-24 year-olds with lived experience and their allies, who work collaboratively with Youth In Action to discuss and create sustainable solutions to end youth homelessness. Any youth, ages 13-24, interested in ending and preventing youth homelessness are welcome to join the YAB.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention RI
The grassroots work we do focuses on eliminating the loss of life from suicide by delivering innovative prevention programs, educating the public about risk factors and warning signs, raising funds for suicide research and programs, and reaching out to those individuals who have lost someone to suicide.
As a growing chapter in Rhode Island, we bring people together from all backgrounds who want to prevent suicide in our communities. Families and friends who have lost someone to suicide, vulnerable individuals, mental health professionals, clergy, educators, students, community/business leaders, and many others to fuel our mission to save lives and bring HOPE to those affected by suicide.
Providence Animal Rescue League
Many of PARL’s programs and services have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, inflation, and economic hardship. We have increased demand for preventative vet care clinics for pets in our community, serving 1,538 community animals in 2022 (a 126% increase compared to the previous year and 535% increase compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic stats). Our free Pet Food Pantry program distributed over 58,000 meals to pets in need last year, helping pets stay with their families and helping those who are facing financial hardship keep their pet(s) rather than having to part with them. Similarly, our low-cost spay/neuter clinic continues to face high demand. Supporters helped us provide over 1,300 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries in 2022.
Potter League for Animals
The Potter League for Animals is a nonprofit that relies on generous donations from individuals like you to provide lifesaving care to thousands of animals each year in our community. To all these animals, we offer a temporary home, warm beds, loving hearts, and medical attention before sending them off to loving homes.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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