Great Fish begins with launch party on Aug. 5

The Whitefish Community Foundation kicks off the seventh annual Great Fish Community Challenge on Thursday, Aug. 5 with the Great Fish Launch Party at Glacier Bank in downtown Whitefish.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with live music, hearty appetizers, craft beverages and opportunities for donors to win grants for their favorite participating nonprofit organizations.

The party is sponsored by Glacier Bank with contributions from Trovare and the FVCC Foundation.

The Great Fish Community Challenge is a charitable giving campaign hosted by the community foundation to help local nonprofit organizations raise funds for their programs and projects. This year’s campaign runs Aug. 5 through Sept. 17 and will benefit 61 charities.

Donors can choose to give to multiple organizations with one transaction. Donations can be made online at whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/great-fish, by check or cash accompanied by the official Great Fish donation form, or through a gift of stock or distribution from an IRA.

At the conclusion of the campaign, the foundation will award a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each participating organization.

Since 2015, the Great Fish Community Challenge has raised over $13 million for more than 70 local nonprofit organizations.

In addition to awarding a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each organization, the foundation awards thousands of dollars in incentive grants throughout the campaign. The match is made possible by Whitefish Community Foundation’s Circle of Giving donors, as well as donors who designate their gift to the Great Fish Match Fund. Last year’s match exceeded $600,000, allowing for a matching grant of $11,200 to each nonprofit that raised at least $20,000 in the Challenge.

For more information or to make a donation, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/great-fish/ or call (406) 863-1781.