Great Fish 2020 participating charities announced
The Whitefish Community Foundation this week announced the 56 local organizations that will benefit from this year’s Great Fish Community Challenge.
The Challenge, a seven-week, charitable giving campaign that has raised critical program funding for local nonprofits since it began in 2015, has raised over $9 million for more than 60 charities in just five years and has impacted the lives of thousands. Over 2,000 donors used this campaign as an integral part of their charitable giving last year, an increase of more than 500 from 2018.
The 2020 participating charities include:
Abbie Shelter
Alpine Theatre Project
Backpack Assistance Program
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flathead County
Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation
CASA for Kids
Center for Restorative Youth Justice
Child Bridge
DREAM Adaptive Recreation
Farm Hands - Nourish the Flathead
Flathead Area Mountain Bikers
Flathead Audubon Society
Flathead Cancer Aid Services
Flathead Food Bank
Flathead Land Trust
Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer
Flathead Valley Community College Foundation
Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation
Flathead Youth Home
Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center
Glacier Institute
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Glacier Nordic Club
Glacier Symphony & Chorale
Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley
Hockaday Museum of Art
Humane Society of Northwest Montana
Intermountain Children’s Services
Lighthouse Christian Home & Services
Montana Children’s Medical Center Foundation
Montana Conservation Corps
Nate Chute Foundation
North Valley Food Bank
North Valley Hospital Foundation
North Valley Music School
North West Montana Veterans Food Pantry
Nurturing Center, The
Project Whitefish Kids
Ravenwood Natural Science Center
Samaritan House
Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic
Sparrow’s Nest of NW MT
Stumptown Art Studio
Stumptown Ice Den
Whitefish Area Land Trust
Whitefish Community Center
Whitefish Community Foundation
Whitefish Lake Institute
Whitefish Legacy Partners
Whitefish Library Association
Whitefish Review
Whitefish Rotary Charitable Fund
Whitefish School District Education Foundation
Whitefish Theatre Company
Whitefish Veterans Support Team
Wings
Whitefish Community Foundation will again offer a percentage matching grant on the first $20,000 raised by each nonprofit in the Challenge. In 2019, the match was 49%, giving nonprofits an additional $9,800 on top of the designated contributions from the public. Funding for the match comes primarily from the Foundation’s Circle of Giving donors, and donors to the Friends of the Match.
The Great Fish Community Challenge will launch on Thursday, July 30, at which time the online donation portal will open and the Leaderboard will start to update with total amounts raised reach day. Incentive Grants from most donors each week as well as other exciting Challenges will be announced closer to the campaign.
In lieu of the annual Launch Party, the Foundation will hold a Facebook Live event all day featuring different nonprofit leaders. Instant Grants will be drawn through the day to award matching gifts of $25, $50, $75, and $100 on top of early donations. A total of $2,000 will be awarded on the first day. The community is encouraged to donate early to earn these the extra matching grants for charities.
The Whitefish Community Foundation organizes the Great Fish Community Challenge free of charge for nonprofits and provides the matching funds to inspire the community to give. The challenge will run seven weeks. The Foundation is still planning to hold the Color Run on Sept. 7, but a final decision on this will be made in early August. Donations can be made until Sept. 18.
For more information about the Whitefish Community Foundation and the Great Fish Community Challenge visit the Foundation website at www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or call 406-863-1781.