The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound's annual Give Local campaign raised more than $1 million, setting a new record for the 8-year-old initiative.
“This was our best year yet, with our communities raising an incredible $1,184,435 for 142 participating nonprofits,” Mary Lam-Witcher, Communications officer with the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, told The JOLT.
Lam-Witcher shared Give Local’s 2024 report, which showed increased community participation.
According to the Community Foundation, 2,168 unique donors contributed to the campaign, making a total of 4,142 individual gifts.
The foundation emphasized that everyone was welcome to participate and that no gift was too small. The majority of the gifts — 81% or 3,357 contributions — were $200 or less, demonstrating strong grassroots support.
The campaign also attracted larger donations: 532 gifts ranged from $201 to $500, while 199 contributions fell between $501 and $2,500. About 54 gifts were made at $2,501 or above.
These contributions benefited 142 nonprofits across Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties, marking the highest nonprofit participation to date. About 16 of these nonprofits are BIPOC-led and 32 are first-time participants.
The campaign's success was bolstered by its ability to attract new participants. A post-campaign survey of 243 donors revealed that 37% were first-time participants in Give Local. About 40% of surveyed donors helped spread the word about the campaign within their networks. The campaign’s future looks promising, with 97% of survey respondents planning to participate again in upcoming Give Local events.
Housing and Human Services — 26.7%
Arts and Culture — 22.9%
Health and Wellness — 10.4%
Community and Civic Engagement — 9.6%
Environment and Animals — 14.1%
Education and Youth — 15.9%
Economic Opportunity — 0.4%
The Community Foundation acknowledged the crucial support of key sponsors, including the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, the Dawkins Charitable Trust, OlyFed, TwinStar Credit Union and WSECU.
Lam-Witcher also thanked its media partners, including The JOLT News Organization, which has participated in Give Local for the past three years.
“We are grateful for your media sponsorship, which allows us to spread the word to our community. We certainly wouldn’t have reached as many community members as we did without your help," Lam-Witcher said.
Give Local is part of the Community Foundation's broader efforts to grow and inspire local philanthropy. Its goals are to increase generosity while building awareness and support for regional nonprofits that care for communities year-round.
The initiative aims to improve the overall well-being of communities in Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.
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KatAshe
I came to the conclusion decades ago that I could make little difference to tragedies in other countries or even other states, BUT I could make a difference in my own community. Whether it’s the food bank, rescue mission, Safe Place, the Boys and Girls club, an animal rescue or helping fund homes through Habitat, or supporting out LGBTQ youth, I’m able to see what these local charities are doing, and what impact they are making in the lives of my neighbors.
Another advantage of giving locally is knowing that the presidents or directors of our local organizations aren’t taking hundreds of thousand of dollars in salary (some well known national charities pay their leadership over one million dollars a year).
For those who choose to give further from home, before donating, sign on to CHARITY NAVIGATOR. If the charity is not spending at least 70%, but preferably 85% of what they collect on the cause, please think twice about what your donation is actually funding, the cause or someone’s salary. You’ll find a number of out local charities listed at charitynavigztor.org.
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 Report this