Golden Belt Community Foundation just completed its seventh Giving Tuesday campaign, wrapping up and announcing the results during a virtual Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday morning.
Giving Tuesday started as a day for anyone, anywhere, to give, and it has grown into the biggest giving movement in the world. Giving Tuesday harnesses the generosity of millions of people around the world to support the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live. Celebrated on the Tuesday following U.S. Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday inspires millions of people across the globe to show up and give back to causes and issues that matter to them.
Giving Tuesday Now, a special campaign held in May, addressed immediate needs caused by the pandemic and raised over $56,000. During the regular Giving Tuesday Campaign, held Nov. 1 to Dec. 1, over 1,000 gifts were made to support 93 local charitable organizations and endowment funds, raising a total of $183,345.25.
“This year marked GBCF’s seventh year to be a Giving Tuesday partner,” stated Mackenzie Mitchell, development and communications coordinator at the Foundation. “And again this year we invited all charitable organizations in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties to participate.”
There were seven new organizations participating, and each organization chose whether to get any gifts received as a grant back to their organization – or to use the gifts to build their endowment fund at GBCF. Over half of the organizations will be receiving the gifts as grants to be put to immediate use supporting a wide variety of missions and causes.
In addition, $10,000 in matching funds and $1,500 in giving incentives and drawings were awarded.
The 2020 top ten Giving Tuesday organizations and funds raised are:
1 Kansas Oil and Gas Museum Foundation - $19,420
2 Barton County Emergency Aid Endowment - $17,550
3 Almost Home, Inc. - $8,545
4 Forever Rush County Endowment - $8,530
5 Community Food Bank of Barton County - $8,095
6 Prairie Godmother Fund - $7,705
7 Locust Grove Village Endowment - $5,745
8 Central Kansas Dream Center, Inc - $5,535
9 United Way of Central Kansas - $5,450
10 Golden Belt Humane Society - $5,543.82
“GBCF’s Giving Tuesday campaign as well as our Giving Tuesday Now campaign is only possible because of everyone who supported a cause they care about,” said GBCF Executive Director Christy Tustin. “Thank you for your support, participation, and spreading the word about Giving Tuesday.”
The “All In” award and a $100 grant was given to Locust Grove Village in La Crosse, which had 100% of its board of directors donate on Giving Tuesday.
This was the second year for the Most Generous City award, which was calculated with gift totals by zip code per capita. Great Bend received the 2020 Most Generous City award, and the Foundation will make a grant of $1,000 to an organization or project in that community.
In 2021 Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on Nov. 30.
For questions about Golden Belt Community Foundation or Giving Tuesday, contact the foundation at gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org or call 620-792-3000.
