(Courtesy)
KEARNEY – A big day is coming! This time of year is known for the spirit of helping others, and a great opportunity is coming up for the community to do just that and continue the impact of 13 years of local giving!
This year, the community-wide event Give Where You Live will benefit 207 charitable organizations and causes in the Kearney area that improve the quality of life for local residents! Since its inception in 2013, Give Where You Live, led by the Kearney Area Community Foundation (KACF), has raised more than $13.5 million for local nonprofits.
Online early giving has begun for KACF’s 13th annual giving day, which will be held on Dec. 4, 2025.
This year, $135,000 in challenge match funds and prizes will be awarded to nonprofits participating in Give Where You Live.
Give Where You Live is a one-day fundraising event on December 4, 2025 that unites and encourages donors to support nonprofits and improve our quality of life. Give Where You Live is a community effort powered by the Kearney Area Community Foundation that encourages area nonprofits to build their capacity, find new donors, and identify new funding streams. KACF’s goal is to raise more than $1 million in one day by encouraging local residents to support their favorite charities.
“We’re so pleased to see how Give Where You Live continues to make such a positive impact on Kearney and the surrounding area,” said Judi Sickler, President/CEO at the Kearney Area Community Foundation. “This giving day brings people together to support the nonprofits that make our community stronger, more vibrant and full of opportunity.”
Last year, the twelfth year for the 24-hour giving day, the community raised a record-breaking $1,944,214 on December 5, 2024, which included prizes, matching funds and other incentives. Donations came in from a wide variety of donors who made more than 7,401 different gifts for 201 organizations/causes. “The Kearney Area Community Foundation is proud to help lead this effort each year,” added Sickler. “Our mission is to connect people who care with causes that matter, and Give Where You Live is one of the most powerful ways we have helped local generosity grow and create lasting change.”
“Recipe for Success” is the theme for this year’s community-wide campaign.
“It’s our 13th year of Give Where You Live, and we truly feel the event has been a recipe for success in our community,” said Ashley Weets, Program Manager. “Our nonprofits and other volunteer-led projects are the ingredients that make Buffalo County great. They cook up so much that enriches our lives, and Give Where You Live is here to support those efforts.”
How It Works
On Dec. 4, communities in the Kearney area will come together online and off for 24 hours of generosity. Every donation made during Give Where You Live will help qualify the organization for prize money and awards, furthering the impact of the donor’s investment.
Today, donors can go to the website: https://www.givewhereyoulive.net and look at the list of local nonprofit organizations registered for the giving day. Donors can begin making online gifts today through midnight Dec. 4.
Donations, up to $20,000 per donor, qualify to receive funds from the Give Where You Live Challenge Match Pool. The Challenge Match Pool is $100,000 this year and is provided by Mike and Becky Evers, Tom and Mary Henning, Cal and Jane Johnson, KAAPA Ethanol, Steve and Brenda Koenig, Norris and Lori Marshall, Kent Richter and Heidi Narber-Richter, Bill and Julie Oldfather, Jim and Kelly Shada, Ken and Lynnda Shaffer, Cheryl Webber, Paul and Linda Younes, the Kearney Area Community Foundation and other generous sponsors.
The Challenge Match Pool is a proportional match. “For example, if the community raises $1,000,000 during the event and the Challenge Match Pool is $100,000, every dollar donated will be matched 10%—helping each gift go even further to support local charities,” Weets explained.
$135,000 will be Given Away to Nonprofits as Prizes and Incentives
This year $135,000 in match and prizes will be given to nonprofits participating in Give Where You Live! All donations given from November 6 to December 4 are eligible for prizes.
