When the Golden Belt Community Foundation introduced central Kansas to Giving Tuesday, the result was $127,245 raised for area communities, said Christy Tustin, director of the foundation.
That includes donations submitted for endowed funds of 41 nonprofit organizations and 10 communities, plus $30,000 that was donated anonymously as a matching gift. Groups turned in their gifts on Dec. 2, the national day designated as Giving Tuesday, and received a share of the match in proportion to the amount raised. Early donations also provided $4,450 in prize grants, and the Foundation received $6,000 in gifts to other funds.
Karen Moeder, principle at Holy Family School, said the Giving Tuesday was fun.
“The day was exciting, especially after Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” Moeder said. “After seeing, ‘how much can we buy?’ it was great to see, ‘how much can we give?” Donations to the school’s endowment were $7,025.
The event also reached across generations. Older donors are most familiar with the benefits of gifting to endowed funds, which can sustain giving in the future. Younger donors got a chance to learn how gifts to endowments “are forever,” said Rachel Mawhirter, from the Prairie Godmothers Advisory Board.
Younger donors who are constantly asked to give of their time and money are coming to appreciate the economy of donating to endowed funds. A monetary donation can be made with a lot less time commitment than making 1,000 bierocks or helping run a bingo game.
“You can do big things with a small time commitment,” Mawhirter said.
By bringing all of the gifts together on one day and adding the matching grant, donors could see that every gift counted, said Sue Cooper at the Foundation.

Prize grants
Prize grants were awarded to the top three agencies in three categories: Most funds raised, most individual donors/gifts and most creative Giving Tuesday promotion.
Prairie Godmother Fund swept every category by raising $17, 971 through 98 gifts. This group of “women helping women” has recently granted wishes for help with prescriptions, rent, automotive needs and dental care. In addition to winning $1,000 for most money raised and $1,000 for most gifts, the Godmothers won $500 for the most creative Giving Tuesday promotion, a “Match and Mingle” cocktail party the evening before money was to be turned in.
United Way of Central Kansas took second place for the promotion “Bank on Your Community,” and won an extra $300. Third place and $150 went to the Barton County 4-H, which served “Pancakes for Partners” on Giving Tuesday.
Other prize grants were awarded to:
• Most funds raised — 2nd place, $500 grant to Almost Home Inc. (raised $8,315); 3rd place, $250 grant to Holy Family School (raised $7,025)
• Most individual donors/gifts — 2nd place, $500 grant to Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation (45 gifts); 3rd place, $250 to Locust Grove Village in La Crosse (24 gifts).
Even before the match grant was distributed, half of the participating entities built their endowments by $1,000 or more, Tustin said. “I got a message from an organization and they were amazed at the level of involvement. Giving Tuesday gave them something to understand. There’s a very good likelihood we’ll take it on again in 2015.