Give Local event brings donors, nonprofits together

While it didn’t reach its $100,000 goal, the 24-hour Give Local Flathead campaign got close in its inaugural event.

“We aimed for the stars, and we feel like we got a very good flight out of it,” said Lucy Smith, director of the Flathead Community Foundation.

The Foundation organized the fundraising effort alongside Northwest Montana United Way. Through online, in-person and sponsored donations, they raised over $70,000 for local nonprofit organizations.

The final tally is still unofficial, Smith said, and organizers will double-check everything over the next couple days.

Give Local Flathead was a fundraising event that spanned the entire 24 hours of May 5. It was set up as an opportunity for people to donate to any of the nearly 60 eligible organizations in one place.

Smith said that donations arrived up until the last second.

“We had 20 donations made between 11:59 and 30 seconds and midnight,” she said.

Much of the action was hosted online, where donations were tallied in real time. Organizers also set up a room at the Hampton Inn where representatives from the various organizations could meet donors as well as each other.

“They appreciated the chance to raise some awareness about what they were doing and also to meet some donors,” Smith said.

A total of $10,000 in sponsored gifts added to the donor pot. That money was matched alongside donations that won various prizes. For example, the first and last donations of the 24-hour period received an extra boost from that fund. Other prizes included organizations that received the most donors or the most single donation.

According to the unofficial web results, Child Bridge Inc. of Bigfork received the most donation money, more than $12,000. That’s a faith-based organization that assists foster care and adoption programs.

Smith said that she’s looking forward to next year’s Give Local event after a successful first run, which happened to fall this year on Cinco de Mayo.

“It was really a great fiesta for philanthropy in the Flathead,” she said.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.