The 13th annual Give Where You Live, hosted by the Kearney Area Community Foundation, was cooking up a “Recipe for Success” during the 24-hour giving day on Thursday, Dec. 4, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — The 13th annual Give Where You Live, hosted by the Kearney Area Community Foundation raised over $2 million in donations, according to preliminary numbers from the event.
According to the Kearney Area Community Foundation (KACF), the event raise $2,340,901 for nonprofit organizations and causes. “Thank you so much for being a part of our community’s “Recipe for Success,” per KACF.
Ashley Weets, KACF Program Manager, said there were many volunteers on hand when it was announced that donations had broken over $2 million, which had been an internal goal of the KACF.
Weets said it was a special moment to celebrate the milestone and showcased how the Kearney area went above and beyond for this year’s event.
Weets said despite some economic hardships for people, the donors still stepped up and people gave as they were able to their favorite nonprofits organizations or causes. She said the donations were especially poignant coming in the middle of the holiday season.
It was the work the nonprofits themselves put into the campaign that impressed her, Weets said, as well as the donors who support the event each year, some planning their donations for Give Where You Live specifically.
Concluding, Weets said the KACF continues to facilitate the donations reaching so many nonprofits operating in the Kearney area.
This year, 207 charitable organizations benefited during the event, with 15 being brand new participants.
The top ten nonprofits who received the most donations include the Faith Christian School Foundation, $151,733; Community Critical Needs Fund, $103,317; Shelton Community Pool project, $100,625; S.A.F.E Center, $73,693; FreeThinking Ministries, $70,000; Kearney Area Animal Shelter, $67,121; Buffalo County Community Partners, $63,571; Crossroads Center, $56,850; Kearney Area Habitat for Humanity, $51,053 and Pleasanton Volunteer Fire Department, $49,990.
“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,” according to the KACF.
“The Kearney Area Community Foundation is proud to help lead this effort each year,” said Judi Sickler, KACF President/CEO. “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.”
“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 Weets, “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.”
Since its inception in 2013, Give Where You Live has raised more than $13.5 million for area nonprofits.
