The Golden Belt Community Foundation just completed its fifth Giving Tuesday campaign, wrapping up and announcing the results during a Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee last week.
GBCF issued a challenge to local donors to “Take the Giving Challenge” by supporting one or more charitable organizations that is meaningful to them. And with over 650 gifts made this year, the challenge was accepted by many people raising a total of $204,375.48.
“This year marked GBCF’s 5th year to be a Giving Tuesday partner,” stated Christy Tustin, Executive Director, “and this year we invited all charitable organizations in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties to participate.”
Tustin further explained that there were 23 new organizations participating, and that each organization chose whether to get any gifts received as a grant back to their organization – or to use the gifts to build their endowment fund at GBCF. About half of the organizations will be receiving the gifts as grants to be put to immediate use supporting a wide variety of missions and causes.
“Today GBCF will be awarding over $71,000 in grants,” Tustin explained.
In addition, $10,000 in matching funds and $5,000 in giving incentives and drawings were awarded. Twelve area elementary schools also participated in Giving Tuesday by having a classroom contest to raise funds. The classroom at each school raising the most will receive a $500 grant.
This year’s campaign also included special incentive drawings, such as selecting a name from all donors who gave online during the lunch hour, for example. Nikki Omenski, Development Director, presented the winners of the incentive drawings. Each winner was then asked to select a charitable organization to receive an additional grant. There were twenty organizations selected to receive these special grants.
“This year there were several new names appearing in the Top 10 list of organizations that raised the most funds,” Omenski stated.
The 2018 Top Ten Giving Tuesday organizations and funds raised are:
1) Prairie Godmother Funds $51,214.77
2) Barton County Emergency Aid Association $18,590.20
3) Holy Family School $13,225.96
4) Almost Home, Inc. $12,851.83
5) FOREVER Rozel & Burdett Endowment $7,961.44
6) Golden Belt Humane Society $6,720.15
7) United Way of Central Kansas $6,197.35
8) Community Food Bank of Barton County $5,748.10
9) Meals on Wheels of Barton County $5,237.00
10) Sunflower Diversified Services Foundation $5,231.20
“GBCF’s Giving Tuesday campaign is only possible because of everyone who supported a cause they care about,” said Tustin, “thank you for your support, participation, and spreading the word about Giving Tuesday.”
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
In 2019 Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on December 3rd.