SEELEY LAKE – As a part of the Change Your Pace Challenge, 14 non-profit and service organizations in Seeley Lake raised more than $113,000 between May 20 and July 22. Because this far exceeded the $30,000 matching funds offered by the Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF), each organization received a prorated match based on the percent that was raised.
The SLCF came up with this new fundraising model in hopes to encourage broader community support and diversify everyone's fundraising efforts. While the SLCF offers two cycles of grants to 501(c)3 organizations each year, this model opened up the funding to service organizations beyond the non-profit designation for specific projects and allowed donors to make one donation to the SLCF and split their contribution amongst the 14 eligible organizations.
"It was completely amazing," said SLCF Executive Director Anne Beach. "I believe the community fundraising model was something that this community embraced."
SLCF originally said they would match up to $5,000 per organization up to $30,000. However, because the fundraising was so successful, the match was based on the amount earned per organization divided by the total fundraised, $113,000. That percentage of $30,000 was the match each organization received. Seven of the 14 organizations received the maximum match of $3,006.76. The maximum amount raised for one of the organizations totaled nearly $15,000 with the matching funds. Donations ranged from pennies into the thousands of dollars.
"I think a big motivating factor [to give] was the ability to generate additional money by giving donations to the individual organizations," said Beach. "I also think that some organizations have projects that they want to work on and this was the motivator to get additional money for their project."
One of the clear benefits of this type of fundraising for Beach was every dollar came from Seeley Lake residents or Seeley Lake supporters and will stay in Seeley Lake. Another benefit was the exposure the various groups received for their organization or project and how much work is done by local non-profits and service organizations.
"Different organizations pull on different people's heart strings. It is nice to have a variety of causes that you care about that can benefit from this fundraising," said Beach.
Some of the lessons learned this year included better communication with the community and the fundraising organizations, allowing more lead time to engage more community groups in the process and raise more matching funds and showcasing the groups in a more visible location with the Bob Marshall Music Festival.
In a thank you letter addressed to donors SLCF President Carla Schade used the analogy of diving, "In just four months we put on our fundraising suits, climbed the ladder to the diving tower, bounced on the springboard a few times and dove off. The Foundation itself needed to raise $30,000 for the matching funds. We sure hoped the landing would not be a belly flop. Well, I am ecstatic to report that it was a triple gainer with big splash. Who gave? YOU did!"
Schade said, "This has gone beyond our expectations. I'm so excited for the organizations and for the community."
While the SLCF has not officially decided to hold another Change Your Pace Challenge next year, based on the success this year Beach is optimistic that this will happen again.
"The Seeley Lake community really stepped up for this fundraising effort for all the organizations that people care about," said Beach. "The sky is the limit I think as long as we are able to fundraise the matching funds."
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