Giving Tuesday yields $500,000 for nonprofits

Donations poured in on Giving Tuesday, the Day of Giving and Unity, a fundraising campaign hosted by Whitefish Community Foundation and Flathead Community Foundation with more than $500,000 being awarded through the campaign.

The 28-hour campaign ended at noon on Wednesday, May 6 with donations totaling $486,707 for the 78 participating charities. Whitefish Community Foundation provided a $1,000 match to each charity that raised $2,000 or more in the campaign.

The $75,000 match brings the total amount awarded through the campaign to $561,707.

Glacier Bank and First Interstate Bank supported the Day of Giving campaign by accepting donations at all of their bank drive-up windows. Donations were collected from every bank drive-up including Lakeside, Bigfork and Eureka. Donors also dropped off gifts at the Whitefish Community Foundation and Flathead Community Foundation offices. In all, over 1,334 donors participated in the far-reaching campaign.

“We are amazed at the incredible generosity and participation shown in this campaign from all our communities during such a difficult and uncertain time,” said Linda Engh-Grady, President of Whitefish Community Foundation. “Our nonprofits make our communities the vibrant places we want to live and right now they are struggling to survive.”

Whitefish Community Foundation and Flathead Community Foundation pulled together to make this campaign a far-reaching success.

Of the gifts, 100% went to the designated nonprofits, minus the credit card fees, although most donors opted to cover the credit cards fees in the end.

Whitefish Community Foundation covered the advertising and organizational costs. Nonprofits from all over the Flathead Valley and one in Eureka participated.

Whitefish Community Foundation is working to rapidly reconcile all gifts and distribute funds quickly to the nonprofits.

For complete campaign results on how much each nonprofit raised and who won the incentive grants for the most donors, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org. For more information about the Flathead Community Foundation visit flatheadcommunityfoundation.org.