Silvergate to match cryptocurrency donations made to Experience Camps through The Giving Block on #BitcoinTuesday and throughout December.
December 1, 2020 — Experience Camps, a national nonprofit dedicated to addressing the urgent issue of childhood grief, announced today that it is teaming up with The Giving Block and Silvergate for #BitcoinTuesday, the biggest day for cryptocurrency generosity. This partnership allows donors to make cryptocurrency donations to Experience Camps, which will advance their mission to build a more empathetic, grief-aware culture for kids. Silvergate, the leading provider of innovative financial infrastructure solutions to the digital currency industry, is reinvesting in its community by matching up to $10,000 in cryptocurrency donations made to Experience Camps on #BitcoinTuesday and throughout the month of December.
“At Silvergate, we are inspired by Experience Camps’ mission to empower grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility,” said Benjamin Richman, Director of Digital Currency at Silvergate and Experience Camps volunteer. “Amid the pandemic, there is an increased urgency to join together in support of children through their grief journey, which is why Silvergate is thrilled to help extend bitcoin as an additional medium to further advance Experience Camps’ noble cause.”
Experience Camps, which offers no-cost summer camp and year-round programs for children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling, recently expanded its cryptocurrency program with The Giving Block, and now can accept: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Zcash (ZEC), Gemini Dollar (GUSD), Basic Attention Token (BAT), and ChainLink (LINK). Experience Camps began accepting bitcoin donations in January 2018. Its first cryptocurrency donation came from the anonymous Pineapple Fund in a random act of crypto-kindness that helped dramatically scale its programs.
In the past five years, Experience Camps program participation has grown 188% and its waiting list has jumped 500%. This year, applications were up 23% percent from 2019, despite the cancellation of traditional summer programs. More than 2.3 million people in the U.S. are grieving the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19.
Sara Deren, founder and CEO of Experience Camps, commented, “It takes a village to ensure that no child feels alone in grief. We are so grateful that people like Benjamin Richman are part of that village, and that companies like Silvergate are choosing to lead with innovation and philanthropy to make the world a better place for grieving kids. Support for grieving children is desperately needed right now.“
The nonprofit plans to use donations to advance its goal of doubling the number of kids attending camp and expand its reach and resources to millions more.
Donors can support Experience Camps with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency donations here.
About Experience Camps
Experience Camps is a national nonprofit that provides free, one-week summer camp programs and year-round support for kids who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. Since 2009, Experience Camps has empowered thousands of children with the confidence, skills and support to move forward with their lives.
About Silvergate
Silvergate Capital Corporation (NYSE:SI) is a registered bank holding company for Silvergate Bank, headquartered in La Jolla, California. Silvergate Bank is a commercial bank that opened in 1988 and has been profitable for 22 consecutive years. The Bank has focused its strategy on creating the banking platform for innovators, especially in the digital currency industry, and developing product and service solutions addressing the needs of entrepreneurs. As of September 30, 2020, Silvergate had total assets of $2.6 billion, total deposits of $2.3 billion, and total stockholders’ equity of $284 million.