Give NCW effort a game changer for local nonprofits
One of the most powerful community-building efforts in our region is Give NCW, the grass roots fundraising campaign initiated by the Community Foundation of North Central Washington.
This ingenious effort builds on the foundation’s regional impact grant program. The foundation has selected 25 nonprofits to receive a combined $225,000 in funding for programs that CFNCW believe are critical to the success of our communities. But those grants only partially fund these nonprofit efforts.
To bridge the gap, the foundation uses the online Give NCW program to invite individual contributions. Last year, the inaugural Give NCW effort raised $145,000. The goal this year is to add $200,000 in contributions to the donations by CFNCW.
This grass-roots, crowdfunding effort will launch, appropriately, on Thanksgiving and will continue until Dec. 31.
The World is a proud partner in this effort to strengthen our communities, which is a perfect fit because this newspaper’s mission is to promote, encourage and support community success. Our newsroom will write weekly feature stories highlighting five of the programs, but mentioning every single fundraising effort.
Here are a few examples of projects you will be able to help fund:
– Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Wenatchee Valley for a building project in Rock Island.
– Chelan and Douglas County sheriff’s departments for defibrillation devices in squad cars.
– Pybus Market Foundation for rental subsidies for nonprofits.
– North Valley Community Health Association to pay for a wheelchair lift for a van.
Here’s how each of us can help. You can view all of the projects at givncw.org and see how much the CFNCW contributed. You can make contributions to either a specific project, several projects, or choose to have your donation spread over all 25 projects equally so as a donor you have maximum flexibility.
The minimum contribution is $10, so it encourages everybody to put in whatever makes sense for them. Jennifer Dolge, the communications director for CFNCW, said that a class at Washington Elementary decided to donate funds from a penny drive last year and evaluated each program before deciding where to contribute the dollars.
I love projects that invite broad participation because they give all of us the opportunity to be part of the change we wish to see in the world.
Our community foundation has been extraordinarily successful in encouraging community building through philanthropy. Since executive director Beth Stipe took over the reins of the organization, the assets it manages for the community has grown from about $15 million to $65 million.
These are dollars set aside by donors in our communities to support community success. The foundation is growing a culture of philanthropy that will benefit generations to come.
I can think of no better way to pay it forward than by participating in the Give NCW effort. We are indebted to the Community Foundation of North Central Washington for this ingenious community-driven effort.
To see my video interview with Stipe and Dolge about Give NCW, please access artofcommunityncw.com. The Art of Community Project is dedicated to creative community building in our region.
