Great Fish campaign awards $2.4M

The Whitefish Community Foundation on Thursday distributed more than $2.4 million to 50 participating nonprofits in the fourth annual Great Fish Community Challenge.

The fundraiser began July 26 and raised a record $2,406,810.

The foundation’s 2018 percentage match was 51 percent, which came in 3 percent higher in this year’s challenge, with 50 charities, five more than in the 2017.

Each participating charity received a match applied to the first $20,000 they raised for a total match amount of $468,931. Nonprofits that met or exceeded $20,000 received a matching grant of $10,200 from the foundation. Thirty-eight of the participating nonprofits exceeded $20,000 or more and received the maximum matching grant.

Special awards included the prestigious Great Fish Award, presented to North Valley Music School for exhibiting outstanding participation in all areas of the challenge. This award is accompanied by an additional $5,000 grant.

Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer received the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award and a grant of $2,500. North Valley Hospital Foundation received the Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award and a grant of $2,500, and Flathead Cancer Aid received the Jean Howard Memorial Award and a grant of $5,000.

Three new awards were added to the event this year, including the Biggest Catch Award to Whitefish Legacy Partners to recognize the nonprofit with the most donors, the Corporate Citizenship Award to The ZaneRay Group, and the Exceptional Volunteer Award presented to Don Bestwick, who directed his special grant award to The Abbie Shelter. All three of the new awards were accompanied by a $2,500 grant directed to a nonprofit.

The foundation added the Corporate Citizenship Award to recognize a business that is a standout in encouraging employee giving. For several years, The ZaneRay Group has been an active donor to the Great Fish Community Challenge, matching the gifts of their employee’s dollar for dollar.

“Not only do they match the gifts, but they match them immediately,” Foundation President Linda Engh-Grady said. “It would be exciting to see businesses seriously competing to earn this award in future years by encouraging employee giving,” she said. The ZaneRay Group selected Flathead Cancer Aid Services as the nonprofit recipient for their award.

A $1,000 grant was also presented to Nate Chute Foundation, the nonprofit winner of the Mic Drop Contest, for the most creative rap representing the true spirit of the challenge. Artist Eric Kanter blew the crowd away with his thoughtfully wordsmithed rap and received a standing ovation for his performance.

Throughout the challenge, the foundation offered incentive grants to participating nonprofits totaling over $15,000. The bonus grants helped to increase the urgency of donors to give to participating nonprofits and in many cases encouraged donors to give again.

The total amount raised by the nonprofits surpasses the 2017 total by more than $300,000 and for the fourth year in a row, the challenge set a new high.

Whitefish Community Foundation organizes the annual campaign free of charge for participating nonprofits. The cost of the 2018 campaign exceeded $150,000, which amounts to $3,000 per nonprofit in the challenge. The foundation, with help from its sponsors, covers the cost to ensure that 100 percent of all donations go to the designated charities.

For complete campaign details, as well as how much each nonprofit was awarded in the challenge, visit www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org.