Last week to donate in Great Fish Challenge

This Friday at 5 p.m. is the deadline to support 70 Flathead Valley nonprofit organizations raising funds in the eighth annual Great Fish Community Challenge. The fundraising goal for this year’s Challenge is $4 million. Nonprofits receive 100 percent of the gifts designated to them, and donors who give online can choose to cover the credit card transaction fee.

The list of participating nonprofits and how much money each organization has raised in the Challenge so far can be found at whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/donation-leaderboard.

“Many of the charities in this year’s Challenge are relying on these funds to cover a significant portion, if not all, of their annual operating budget,” Whitefish Community Foundation President Linda Engh-Grady said. “They need our support so they can continue to provide critical services and programs to our communities.”

Donors can choose to give to multiple organizations with one transaction. Donations can be made online at whitefishcommunityfoundation.org, by check or cash accompanied by the official Great Fish donation form, or through a gift of stock or distribution from an IRA. Donors wishing to give over the phone or needing assistance can call Whitefish Community Foundation at (406) 863-1781.

At the conclusion of the campaign, Whitefish Community Foundation will award a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each organization. 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 $665,000, allowing for a matching grant of $11,200 for each nonprofit that raised at least $20,000 in the Challenge.

Of the 70 organizations participating in this year’s Challenge, 47% are based in Kalispell and Evergreen, 41% are based in Whitefish, 9% are based in Columbia Falls and 3% are based in Bigfork and Creston. Nearly 80% of the participating organizations serve the entire Flathead Valley.