Application period opens for nonprofits for annual Great Fish Community Challenge

The 2020 Great Fish Community Challenge application opens Jan. 15.

Nonprofits interested in applying for the Challenge must submit an online application by 4 p.m. on Feb. 27 at www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org. Nonprofits selected to participate in the Challenge will be notified May 14.

The Great Fish Community Challenge, now in its sixth year, is a matching grant program organized by the Whitefish Community Foundation. It is a collaborative fundraiser, designed to encourage mission awareness while raising millions of dollars to support local nonprofit programs and services.

The Great Fish Challenge has grown every year since its inception, raising over $2.8 million for 53 nonprofits in 2019 and more than $9 million total since 2015. This included a Match Fund of $485,000, which enabled the foundation to award a 49% match on the first $20,000 raised by the 53 participating nonprofits.

This year, the campaign giving period will launch on July 30 and run until Sept. 18. The challenge will culminate with the Great Fish Color Run and Community Celebration, held Sept. 12 in Depot Park. This is event is open to the public and will include a nonprofit Community Fair, 1 mile and 5K color runs, barbecue lunch, Tot Trot, incentive grants, and more.

Throughout the campaign the Whitefish Community Foundation will be giving the participating nonprofits a chance to win around $20,000 worth of incentive grants. The annual Great Fish Award will also be awarded to one of the participating nonprofits and it comes with a $7,500 grant. This award was presented to CASA for Kids Flathead County in 2019 for exhibiting outstanding participation in all areas of the challenge.

The Community Foundation is again dedicating $200,000 to the Great Fish Match Fund to launch the campaign, and the Match Fund will grow as the campaign progresses and individuals are inspired to give. The match is the backbone of the challenge and a percentage match will be awarded on the first $20,000 raised by each nonprofit. Each participating nonprofit will receive gifts designated to them, as well as an additional percentage match from the Whitefish Community Foundation.

The significant expenses associated with the Great Fish Community Challenge, including staff support, marketing, administration, and event management, are paid by the Whitefish Community Foundation as a community service.

For more information, visit www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or call 406-863-1781. The Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments and helping donors and nonprofits benefit the community.