by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Dec 15, 2021 | CFFC News, Fayette Gives, Grants
CFFC’s Fayette Gives Proves to be a Successful “Day of Giving” for Local Charities
The second annual Fayette Gives, held on November 16, raised $441,880 for Fayette County charities. Donations from the public totaled over $366,000 and the $70,600 bonus pool, supported by sponsors, provided additional funding to the 64 participating charities. The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) hosts Fayette Gives to engage the community in philanthropy and build a stronger Fayette County.
To recognize and celebrate the success of these charities, CFFC hosted a Fayette Gives Grants Presentation on December 14, 2021 at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus for the participating charities. As Community Sponsors, Jennifer Jubin from COE and Luke Kim from Mike Kelly Toyota presented the checks.
Fayette Gives has proven to be a fundraising opportunity that the community embraces and that local charities value. The public’s donations increased by 66% percent compared to last year’s inaugural Fayette Gives, and the participating charities increased from 43 in 2020 to 64 in 2021.
“We started accepting check donations back in September, and by early November we knew we would surpass last year’s total,” said CFFC Executive Director Renee Couser. “It was exciting to see the numbers climb on November 16 during the 12-hour fundraising marathon. Thank you to everyone who joined us in building a stronger Fayette,” said Couser.
The Fayette Gives website (www.fayettegives.org) provides all the information needed for this special 12-hour “day of giving”. On Fayette Gives day, donors select one or more charities for their contribution and the payment is processed through the website. Live results display on the home page with leaderboards for the charities, based on dollars raised and the number of donations received. These leaderboards are still available on the website to display preliminary results (these numbers do not include bonus pool dollars or donations received after November 16).
A charity’s bonus pool dollars are determined by their amount raised and their number of unique donors, calculated through prorated percentages. This incentivizes donors to give because each donation received by the end of Fayette Gives day is enhanced by the bonus pool, which in turn provides extra support to the charities.
The 64 participating charities serve residents through the arts, basic human needs, education, healthcare, recreation, and a variety of other service areas. Aside from monetary contributions, Fayette Gives raises awareness of local charities and their work.
“There is so much ‘good’ being done throughout Fayette County. CFFC has the privilege of working with local organizations who make a real impact for our friends and neighbors, and we hope that Fayette Gives helps others learn more about their wonderful services. Thank you to everyone who helped raise the impressive total of $441,880. All funds will stay right here in Fayette County,” said CFFC Board Chair J.D. Ewing.
View the final results spreadsheet with charity totals.
View more photos on CFFC’s Facebook @cffayettepa
Mark your calendars for next year’s Fayette Gives on Thursday, November 10, 2022 as we continue our efforts in building a stronger Fayette!
Herald-Standard article
Daily Courier article
Community Sponsors
The Swimmer Family
Generosity Sponsors
Fayette Pipe Company
JLE Industries, LLC
Charity Fund
Humanity Sponsors
Community Bank
Erie Insurance
First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Greene County
Ford of Uniontown
Nemacolin
Pittsburgh-Fayette Express, Inc.
the Uniontown Office of Janney Montgomery Scott
Wells Fargo Advisors ~ Vic Fiano, Jr. and Victor Fiano, III
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jun 7, 2021 | Building a Stronger Fayette
If you know the names Hoover, Roxie, Mittens, and Cricket, then chances are you’ve recently looked into the animals available for adoption at Fayette Friends of Animals (FFOA). This no-kill shelter provides temporary shelter to stray, abandoned, or surrendered animals with a goal of finding permanent homes. Their community support was showcased during Fayette Gives 2020, a “day of giving” hosted by CFFC to support local charities. FFOA placed second on the leaderboard for number of donors.
Photos of animals available for adoption from the Fayette Friends of Animals website
“Fayette Gives supplemented a large portion of what we could not generate through normal fundraising events in 2020 due to covid-19,” said Dakota Bocan, FFOA Marketing and Programming Director. FFOA used this opportunity to raise money, share their mission, and engage with their passionate donors.
“Luckily, people turned to animals for comfort and companionship during the pandemic, so we were still able to find fur-ever homes for the dogs and cats in our care,” said Bocan as she explained that the need to care for animals is a consistent one. “We are forever grateful to our amazing community for still remaining so active even with the new health and safety procedures in place,” Bocan added.
Photo of Marge Dugan and Mollie Wilcosky with the Fayette Gives check
Alongside their pet adoption services, FFOA focuses on educating the public about spaying and neutering animals to ease the problem of pet overpopulation. They listed this in their Fayette Gives profile on the website, which is displayed when you click on a charity’s name before donation.
FFOA is already registered and listed on the website for Fayette Gives 2021, which will take place on November 16. Bocan said, “Fayette Friends of Animals is looking to get even more engagement this upcoming year, since our community base is continuously growing. We cannot wait to see what this year brings!”
#BuildingAStrongerFayette
#FayetteGives
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Apr 13, 2021 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Many people are familiar with the one-to-one mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Laurel Region branch provides those programs right here in Fayette County to help youth achieve their full potential. To support their local work, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region (BBBSLR) participated in Fayette Gives 2020 and placed in the top five charities for amount fundraised.
“Fayette Gives allowed for donors to find which missions were most inspiring to them and which ones lined up with their goals and beliefs,” said Stephanie Babich Mihleder, BBBSLR Executive Director. She noted that the “day of giving” was beneficial in increasing awareness of local charities and helping donors make a bigger impact with the bonus pool enhancement (thanks to the generous Fayette Gives sponsors).
Aubrey Marquis, Mentoring Coordinator and Stephanie Babich Mihleder, Executive Director
Like many charities during the covid-19 pandemic, BBBSLR had to cancel fundraising events and adjust their programming. Safety precautions affected the way that mentors (Bigs) and children (Littles) could meet, especially during school closures or limited access to facilities. “Our Bigs have stepped up and many of them are doing weekly tutoring and even Read to Succeed sessions over video chat,” said Mihleder.
BBBSLR Bigs and Littles
During a challenging year of new school guidelines and limited socialization for children, mentors were a source of support and encouragement. Mentors are volunteers who are vetted and strategically matched with children based on specific qualities or interests, and BBBSLR is always happy to welcome more.
BBBSLR is already registered for Fayette Gives 2021, which will take place on November 16. This will be another opportunity for them to rally their supporters around one special day to support the charity and share their mission. Charities can learn more and register now at http://www.fayettegives.org, and businesses who wish to become a sponsor can download the 2021 Sponsorship Form.
#FayetteGives
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Apr 6, 2021 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Mary House, Inc. serves Uniontown area women who are homeless and/or in need of transitional housing, providing a safe and secure environment based on a common lifestyle of the residents. Mary House, Inc. was eager to leverage their Fayette Gives 2020 participation to raise awareness of their mission and raise funds to support their work. Among over forty charities, they placed third for number of donors and eighth for amount fundraised.
Fayette Gives is a unique opportunity for charities to participate in a collective effort to strengthen Fayette County, embracing the diversity of their missions and how they all play a role in our community. Participating charities are encouraged to spread the word, explain how their mission impacts residents, and energize their donors for this “day of giving.” Mary House, Inc. did just that, and their donor response was successful as a result.
Co-Directors of Mary House, Inc. – Sister Annette Frey, S.C. and Sister Jean Augustine, S.C.
“Fayette Gives and the preparations for it brought many unknown benefits to Mary House, Inc. Before this day, we were best known through “word of mouth.” More people are now aware of the needs of our area and the role CFFC plays in Fayette County,” said Sister Annette Frey, Co-Director of Mary House, Inc.
Charities can incorporate Fayette Gives into their annual fundraising plan, using this ready-made opportunity to engage with their donors and the larger community. Local businesses can also get involved by supporting all participating charities through a Fayette Gives sponsorship. The CFFC hopes for even more anticipation and excitement for Fayette Gives 2021, which will take place on November 16. Mary House, Inc. has already registered, alongside over twenty other charities so far. Register and learn more at www.fayettegives.org.
#BuildingAStrongerFayette #FayetteGives