Many of the drives, including in Kitsap and Seattle, worked with online fundraising company Kimbia, which experienced problems accepting donations.

The Great Give fell just short of its goal of $1.5 million. But Kol Medina, executive director of the Kitsap Community Foundation, said he thought the event could have exceeded the goal if the technical problems hadn’t happened.

“It was phenomenal to see the community rally and come back to the website” May 4, after the deadline had been extended, Medina said.

Donors were patient and supportive, which wasn’t the case with all of the fundraising events across the country.

Several donors and organizations lashed out at Kimbia on its Facebook page.

As frustrations rose and negative news spread, some drives ended early, Medina said.

That wasn’t the case in Kitsap, where Medina said the community had “a moment of growth,” raising 27 percent more than last year’s donation total, which was just over $1 million.

Some organizations sent donors directly to their websites during technical problems on the Great Give website.