Great Fish hits new fundraising high
Donations flooded the Whitefish Community Foundation office online, in the mail, or were hand delivered during the final week of the Great Fish Challenge, which concluded last Friday. The preliminary total for the nonprofits tallied $1.1 million.
This was an increase of more than $200,000 over last year’s numbers and does not include the final match fund, according to Linda Engh-Grady, with the foundation.
It could be said that it is an increase of $400,000, because in 2015, one nonprofit received a single gift of $200,000 from one individual where this year, there was not a single large gift and donations are spread out over all the nonprofits, she noted.
Nearly all of the nonprofits succeeded in raising at least $15,000, which is the maximum amount eligible to be matched. The match total has not been finalized by the Whitefish Community Foundation Board of Directors as match donations are still coming in.
The match fund currently stands at $248,000. The 2015 match amount was $209,000 and totaled 53 percent. Once the match percentage is calculated it will be announced at the Great Fish Challenge awards celebration in October.
There were numerous new donors this year who learned how easy it was to give to multiple nonprofits with one check, or with one click online, according to Engh-Grady.
A public celebration for the Great Fish Challenge will be held on Monday, Oct. 10 at Casey’s in Whitefish starting at 5 p.m.
Several final incentive grants and special awards will be presented during the evening. Several special awards will also be announced, including the Great Fish Award, the Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award, the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award, and new this year, the Jean Howard Memorial Award. Each nonprofit receiving one of these special awards will receive a $2,500 grant from the Whitefish Community Foundation.
Over $10,000 has been awarded so far during the challenge through incentive and bonus grants.
For more information about the Whitefish Community Foundation visit www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or www.greatfishchallenge.org.