Representatives of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Florida man a table during a Giving Challenge 2024 event. | Photo courtesy of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Giving Challenge returns with 24-hour push for Suncoast nonprofits
For 24 hours every two years, local nonprofits get a chance to supercharge their fundraising, tapping into millions of dollars in donations on a single day.
The surge comes from the Giving Challenge, a biennial event hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with support from The Patterson Foundation. Since launching in 2012, it has raised more than $92 million for about 750 nonprofits serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
From noon April 15 to noon April 16, organizations will once again take part.
“The energy and enthusiasm around this year’s Giving Challenge is palpable, Jessica Muroff, CEO at the Community Foundation, said in a statement. “Whether someone has $25 to give or 10 times that amount, the Giving Challenge shows that everyone can be a philanthropist and make a lasting difference in their community.”
Donations are made online through the Giving Challenge platform, with gifts between $25 and $100 eligible for matching funds provided by The Patterson Foundation. The 24-hour window — and the match — are designed to encourage broad participation and amplify the impact of individual donations.
“Our region’s nonprofit organizations are among the Suncoast’s greatest assets, and the Giving Challenge is a super-charged opportunity to strengthen our entire nonprofit community,” Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation, said in a statement. “The Patterson Foundation’s match aspires to spark wide participation as thousands of donors support their favorite nonprofits.”
The Patterson Foundation has provided nearly $37 million in matching donations and other incentives over the past challenges.
Participating nonprofits this year include Big Waters Land Trust, Friends of The Legacy Trail, Resilient Retreat and Suncoast Searchlight, among hundreds of others spanning environmental conservation, mental health, performing arts and community services.
Visit this link to donate through Suncoast Searchlight’s Giving Challenge page.
As part of the challenge, at least 10 Pop-up Giving Stations will be hosted across the region, giving organizations a chance to connect directly with donors and explain the impact of their work. Those stations include The Venice Pier Group in Venice, Foster the Family in Bradenton and The Bay Park in Sarasota.
The Giving Challenge Pop-up Station at The Bay will be held at The Nest, a shaded public gathering space inside the park. | Photo by Derek Gilliam, Suncoast Searchlight
The Bay Park Conservancy, the nonprofit working with the city to plan, build and operate the waterfront park as it is developed in phases, has participated in the Giving Challenge since 2020 and hosted a pop-up site for the first time in 2024, said chief operating officer Diana Shaheen.
Shaheen said she is looking forward to hosting one again on April 15.
Diana Shaheen, chief operating officer of The Bay Park Conservancy | Photo courtesy of The Bay Park Conservancy
Looking back at the last pop-up event, Shaheen said, she was struck by the wide range of participating nonprofits — from the The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe to The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program — and how different they seemed at first glance.
But that mix, she said, reflects the park’s broader mission. The Bay hosts nearly 800 free events each year aimed at providing something for all in the community from yoga and pilates to science discussions.
“What I realized is that when they’re together at The Bay, they make perfect sense,” Shaheen said.
Click here for a full list of participating nonprofits.
Click here for a full list of Pop-up Giving Stations and details about each one, including the operating hours.
Derek Gilliam is a watchdog/investigative reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. Email Derek at derek@suncoastsearchlight.org.
