Giving Challenge harkens back to pre-pandemic landscape

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s Giving Challenge is back — and with a renewed sense of purpose after operating for two years in crisis mode during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like a lot of local institutions, the foundation faced a bevy of hurdles in the wake of the pandemic. Two years ago, the organization had to scrap any of its face-to-face pop-up events leading up to its 2020 Giving Challenge. Fortunately the event — a 24-hour appeal for donations during which 700 charities across four counties flood their donor bases with pleas for money — was a decade ahead of its time, having been structured primarily as an online-only fundraiser.

“We’ve been virtual from the start,” says Mischa Kirby, the foundation’s vice president of strategy and communications. “So it was never any question that the challenge would go on.”

The 2020 Giving Challenge marked a time of unprecedented need in the community, and donors responded, donating a record-breaking $19.1 million, which bested 2018's record of $11.7 million. Since it began in 2012, the challenge has raised more than $59 million for local nonprofits from Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Charlotte counties. 

This year, the biannual challenge hopes to meet that mark again. From noon April 26 to noon April 27, nonprofits will be raising money and have the ability to have donations between $25 and $100 matched by the Patterson Foundation.

Although the donations happen online, back this year are face-to-face pop-up events, designed to stir up interest among people who aren’t already on the email lists at area nonprofits. Twelve different pop-up stations from Charlotte to Manatee County will be hosting events to engage with the community, build awareness for their organizations and raise additional funds. 

These events range from trying out water sports equipment at Nathan Benderson Park to watching professional domino artists work their craft in a pop up hosted by WSLR.

"These organizations are creating an experience and making it fun and encourage people to participate," Kirby said.

Another unique aspect of this year's challenge are the collaborations that take place between nonprofits. One such collaboration is between the Sarasota Youth Opera and the Child Protection Center. The two are partnering to host a Brown Bag Lunch & Learn at the Sarasota Opera House to kickoff the Giving Challenge. At the event, they will be sharing information about the opera's programs for youths, in addition to highlighting the work the Child Protection Center does to help with the prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse. 

"The arts are what make Sarasota special," says Stephen Baker, the director of marketing at Sarasota Opera. "There were more immediate needs that needed to be met because of the pandemic, and those needs were more acute. At the same time, there's still a real need for arts funding, which is one of the reasons why we found it important to partner with the Child Protection Center."

While organizations big and small participate in the challenge, for some nonprofits, like Beyond the Spectrum, a nonprofit education and therapy center for children with special needs, the Giving Challenge is the biggest fundraiser of the year.

Lora Carpenter, executive director of Beyond the Spectrum, said 100% of the proceeds from the Giving Challenge go back to the nonprofit’s students to provide therapies.

“Any size donation that comes through allows us to provide more therapies,” Carpenter said. “We can have more sessions or longer sessions and ensure the children are getting the best quality they deserve. It helps us operate from year to year on a small budget.”

Besides providing in-house therapy at Beyond the Spectrum, funds from this year’s Giving Challenge will help the nonprofit build two playgrounds.

Lisa Burns, Miller and Angela Massaro-Fain, president of Sisterhood for Good, said the Giving Challenge gives them an opportunity to spread awareness about their nonprofits.

Sisterhood for Good, a nonprofit that provides grants each year to other nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties, depends on member dues and donations to support its grants program. The more people know about the organization, the more the nonprofit is able to receive donations to assist the community.

In June, Sisterhood for Good plans to give away $75,000 in grants to local nonprofits, compared with $44,000 last year. Massaro-Fain said she would love to be able to give out $100,000 next year with the help of funds raised in the Giving Challenge.

“Sisterhood for Good is an all-volunteer organization,” Massaro-Fain said. “We have no salaries. We basically have no overhead. Every year when we raise money, 100% of what we raise goes back to the community.”