Eighty Four, PA – The Washington County Community Foundation has cumulatively awarded close to $12 million in unrestricted grants to Washington County charities through WCCF Gives. Each year, this annual community-wide giving event is supported by thousands of donors and provides grants to more than 100 local charities providing diverse programs throughout Washington County.
WCCF Gives started in 2013 as one day of giving but has evolved over time into a giving event conducted over several months. The community giving begins on June 1 with check contributions and concludes on September 19, when credit card contributions are also accepted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. via a dedicated website maintained by the Foundation. The final day of the giving event is an exciting one, as contribution totals for all charities are displayed in real time on the website leaderboard.
“Other providers of similar giving events throughout the country often charge participating charities a fee to register and also take a percentage of the amount raised, to cover the costs of administering the event. Although our costs to facilitate WCCF Gives are greater than any other activity we administer, we have never charged charities any fees,” remarked Betsie Trew, President & CEO. “Instead, we seek community sponsorships to help cover the costs and also to provide for the bonus pool which encourages community giving.”
The bonus pool, which has been at least $100,000 in each of the past 11 years, is distributed in two categories: 50% by the number of donors a charity secures and 50% by the total value of the contributions a charity secures. This distribution method helps to level the playing field for smaller charities which don’t typically have access to donors at higher giving levels, but who are working hard to increase their number of donors.
WCCF Gives is open to all 501(c)(3) public charities who annually file the Federal Form 990 and who have a physical presence in Washington County, but interested charities must register each year by June 1. The Foundation annually provides training to help charities make the most of the giving opportunity and has scheduled this year’s training session for April 16 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. During the training, attendees will learn how to incorporate their efforts from two other Foundation initiatives, WCCF Storybook and Community Snapshot, into their promotions for WCCF Gives. Registration for the event and the training is available through the website, www.wccfgives.org.
Sponsorships, ranging from $2,500 to $25,000, are currently being accepted. Each sponsorship level provides public relations benefits, including recognition on the website, promotional material, and on each gift acknowledgement letter. Any business or individual interested in sponsoring the event is encouraged to contact the Foundation at 724-222-6330 or development@wccf.net.