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Community Foundation of Sarasota County Kicks Off the 2018 Giving Challenge This May

Apr 27, 2018 02:56PM ● By Kevin
The 2018 Giving Challenge, brought to you by the Community Foundation of Sarasota, kicks off its annual fundraising campaign this Tuesday, May 1, and Wednesday, May 2. Visit this site on Tuesday at noon through Wednesday at noon to donate to your choice of more than 600 local organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and Desoto counties.

Since 2012, donors from throughout Southwest Florida have shown their love for local nonprofit organizations by providing more than $28 million in unrestricted funding to support their missions during the Giving Challenge. Last year’s event, the website says, "set a new standard for generosity in our community, when more than $13.4 million was raised in just 24 hours to benefit 559 nonprofits listed on The Giving Partner."

The organization believes each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community.

We spoke with Murray Devine, manager of communications and marketing at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to discuss this year's Giving Challenge, how to get involved, and other important facts in a special Q&A.

RSW Living Magazine: Tell us about the Giving Challenge. Who does it benefit?

Murray Devine: The Giving Challenge is presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.

The Giving Challenge is an exciting 24-hour giving event supporting more than 630 nonprofits serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, who have shown a commitment to transparency by having profiles in The Giving Partner. Since 2012, donors throughout our region have shown their love for local nonprofit organizations by providing more than $28 million in unrestricted funding to support their missions. 

This year there are more than 630 participating local nonprofits. Each participating organization has demonstrated transparency by developing an in-depth profile in The Giving Partner, our online database about each nonprofit’s programmatic impact, leadership, planning, financials and needs.

You can find a list of participating nonprofits at the website

RSW: How can someone get involved? 

Devine: It’s easy! On May 1 and 2, from noon to noon, people can visit the website and search for the nonprofits of their choice to make a secure online donation with their credit card. You can also view a live leaderboard to see how each nonprofit is performing and how much they’ve raised during the 24-hours. 

RSW: What's the most important thing we need to know?

Devine: To strengthen giving during the 2018 Giving Challenge, The Patterson Foundation will provide a 1:1 match for all unique donations, up to $100 per donor, per organization. There is no limit to the number of individual matches from unique donors a nonprofit can receive during the 2018 Giving Challenge.

Also, it’s important to know that the event is only live for 24-hours between noon on May 1 and noon on May 2nd. After that time, the website turns off the ability to donate, and gifts won’t be matched before or after that time.

RSW: Anything else you'd like to add? 

Devine: One unique thing about the Giving Challenge, is that the funds that the nonprofits receive are unrestricted, meaning they are not attached to a specific project or program of a nonprofit. That’s special because Unrestricted funding can be hard to come by—nonprofits need it to operate effectively. By investing dollars into our community through local nonprofits, those who contribute during the Giving Challenge have demonstrated their passion for our region and added a vote of confidence for the impact that our organizations are achieving.

Funds from the past five Giving Challenges have gone on to ensure that vulnerable families will be able to stay in their homes and have food on their table; seniors and veterans will get the vital care they need; students will have a greater array of cultural and scientific explorations to spark their curiosity; the natural beauty of our land and gulf will be preserved; and thousands of sheltered animals will get to find a loving home.

The local participating nonprofits can also earn their share of $260,000 in grant prizes. Prizes will be awarded in categories including most unique donors, best giving challenge video and event, best nonprofit-nonprofit partnership, best nonprofit-business partnership, best overall campaigns, and many more.

 

Be The One - Community Foundation of Sarasota County