Our first annual GoodGiving Guide Challenge, created in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation and Smiley Pete Publishing, provided 58 participating nonprofits with more than $110,000 in donations from the community. Here’s what some local nonprofit leaders had to say about the fundraising event, and how their organizations have fared:
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Lexington:
39 gifts received, $3,955 in total donations
At Catholic Charities, we are amazed by how the community has embraced this initiative. People have been so generous. Right now, things in the nonprofit world are very discouraging, so many people are still unemployed, funds to provide services are limited or can’t keep pace with the needs. The Good Giving Guide Challenge has come at just the right time. It is an affirmation to all of us in social services that the community values our work. – Ruslyn Case-Compton, director, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Lexington
Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence:
214 gifts received, $16,265 in total donations
The Goodgiving Challenge represents the Prichard Committee’s first substantive foray into the world of online giving, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. In just a few short weeks, over 200 donors have contributed gifts amounting to $16,000. The initiative proves that, collectively, small donors can make a huge difference. And to fund the grassroots work that we do serving as the public voice for public education in Kentucky — in such a grassroots way as online fundraising — is especially gratifying. – Rachel Belin, director of development, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Bluegrass Technology Center for People with Disabilities:
10 gifts received, $360 in total donations
The GoodGiving Challenge event enables our donors to receive various levels of incentive gifts to help us share our thanks for their contribution. BTC’s staff works hard every day to provide critically needed services to people with disAbilities, their family members and service providers. BTC operates like the public library, offering information, demonstration and loan of assistive devices to help overcome daily challenges. The majority of the folks we serve cannot afford to pay what it costs for us to operate. Donors are important to our continuation. We value our participation and partnership with the Good Giving Challenge and look forward to participating again next year.
On a personal note, my family has been blessed to benefit from several of the agencies participating in the GoodGiving Challenge Event 2011. From my professional role as well as my familial role, I know how important any positive public exposure can be for nonprofit agencies, especially us small agencies who have to work extra hard to compete with the bigger and/or more recognized agencies in all arenas. By offering an online donation repository, it was easy for me to donate to each of those who have helped support us through the years. While my contributions were not large, I know that each dollar contributed was an investment benefiting another person in need. Now I can enjoy the holidays and know that good things will be done. – Debbie Sharon, acting executive director and dIrector of education, Bluegrass Technology Center
Lexington Ballet:
30 gifts received, $1,982 in total donations
The Lexington Ballet is very grateful to Smiley Pete and the BGCF for this campaign. We have loved how it is highlighting nonprofits in our community and adding some fun to fundraising. The success is thrilling. We have reached new donors and raised funds for the upcoming Ion Dance and Cinderella performances. We’ve even teamed up with another participating organization, the Kidney Health Alliance of Kentucky, as one of our community outreach activities after we learned that they needed some sugarplums for their GoodGiving photo. A very big thank you from the Lexington Ballet’s directors, dancers, staff and students. – Rebecca Silveston-Keith, Lexington Ballet
Institute 193:
16 gifts received, $805 in total donations
As a small, relatively new non-profit, the GoodGiving Guide Challenge has been an invaluable source of exposure in Lexington. It has also, of course, been a great source of fundraising. Our budget is tight, and every dollar counts. I think it’s been an especially useful tool for engaging younger, plugged-in donors, who are looking for an easy way to get involved. – Chase Martin, Institute 193
Bluegrass PRIDE:
16 gifts received, $770 in total donations
PRIDE is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and in our entire history, we have never depended on individual donations — until now. We have started to make the transition from 100 percent grant and contract funding to making appeals to the people in central Kentucky to support our mission to help people understand how to make simple behavior changes that will make a big impact on our local environment. So far, we have 16 donations for a total of $770. Though we are not at the top of the leaderboard and have not won any of the prizes, we are very excited that we have 16 more donation than we have ever had! – Amy Sohner, executive director, Bluegrass PRIDE
The Plantory:
40 gifts received, $5,385 in total donations
The GoodGiving Guide Challenge has had a tremendous impact on KCCJ d/b/a The Plantory. Not only have more people learned about us, but they’ve also given us the opportunity to continue doing good for our community. Lexington’s nonprofits could never put into words just how great a resource this is — and it’s definitely a great one. – Daniel Baker, Cultivator, The Plantory
How generous is your neighborhood?
The following list shows the total gifts received by the GoodGiving Guide Challenge from central Kentucky through Dec. 15 by zip code and surrounding county. This does not include every donation made, however, because some donors listed addresses in other states.
40502 – 345 gifts $26,789 ($77.64 avg. gift)
40503 – 125 gifts $7,566 ($60.52 avg. gift)
40504 – 35 gifts $1,680 ($48 avg. gift)
40505 – 29 gifts $1,085 ($37.41 avg. gift)
40507 – 105 gifts $5,110 ($48.66 avg. gift)
40508 – 90 gifts, $8,143 ($90.47 avg. gift)
40509 – 70 gifts, $4,090 ($58.42 avg. gift)
40510 – 1 gifts, $50 ($50 avg. gift)
40511 – 56 gifts, $2,280 ($40.71 avg. gift)
40513 – 50 gifts, $4,890 ($97.80 avg. gift)
40514 – 32 gifts, $1,085 ($33.90 avg. gift)
40515 – 106 gifts, $8,680 ($81.88 avg. gift)
40516 – 5 gifts, $200 ($40 avg. gift)
40517 – 50 gifts, $3,864 ($77.28 avg. gift)
Elsewhere:
Frankfort – 21 gifts, $1,535 ($73.09 avg. gift)
Nicholasville – 31 gifts, $2,450 ($79.03 avg. gift)
Versailles – 35 gifts, $2,025 ($57.85 avg. gift)
Winchester – 11 gifts, $383 ($34.81 avg. gift)
Danville – 8 gifts, $575 ($71.87 avg. gift)
Richmond – 23 gifts, $1,182 ($51.39 avg. gift)
Louisville – 31 gifts, $2,440 ($78.70 avg. gift)
Georgetown – 16 gifts, $930 ($58.12 avg. gift)