Recognizing Excellence in Donor Cultivation During the 2020 Giving Challenge

The 2020 Giving Challenge showed how our region responds in the face of adversity and uncertainty — raising a record-breaking $19.1 million for nearly 700 organizations serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. It’s an achievement that continues to awe and inspire, and one that will strengthen nonprofit missions well into the future through the unrestricted funds raised by these organizations with their creative, heartfelt outreach in the months leading up to the event.

While the donation total alone is spectacular, there’s another equally outstanding number for our region to focus on: 58,947. That’s the number of unique donors who contributed to the 2020 Giving Challenge’s $19.1 million total, and it’s a reflection of what makes it such a special opportunity for our region.

Over the 24-hour Giving Challenge, people are introduced to both the information available on The Giving Partner and organizations in our region serving causes near and dear to their hearts, which equips would-be donors with the details they need to make smart decisions in their own philanthropy. Incentives like The Patterson Foundation’s dollar-for-dollar match for unique donations up to $100 encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to take action and become a philanthropist. Since the inaugural Giving Challenge in 2012, the connections formed during the Giving Challenge have outlasted the length of the event itself — serving as the launch point for new relationships between organizations and supporters that continue to strengthen their missions for the long term.

As in previous years, the 2020 Giving Challenge featured an array of prizes, with more than 260 opportunities totaling over $275,000 to recognize exceptional use of social media, partnerships, outreach campaigns and other achievements. The additional funding available through these prizes further incentivizes creativity and innovation leading up to the Giving Challenge — all while introducing a healthy dose of friendly competition into the mix!

The Patterson Foundation was proud to join prize funders like the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Manatee Community Foundation, William G. & Marie Selby Foundation, Charlotte Community Foundation, and several regional media partners with its own offering of $51,000 in prize money for the organizations that cultivated the most unique donors during the 2020 Giving Challenge. Like The Patterson Foundation’s dollar-for-dollar match, this prize highlights the importance of cultivating a diverse base of supporters for sustaining nonprofit mission impact — making the Giving Challenge a can’t-miss opportunity to jumpstart these efforts for organizations of all sizes.

This year’s winners — categorized by size based on their annual expenses — worked hard to ensure that the gains made during the 2020 Giving Challenge would stretch beyond the event and sow seeds for continued engagement across a broad group of supporters. The Patterson Foundation is proud to announce the winners of its prize for most unique donations:

Most Unique Donors: Nonprofit Organizations With Expenses < $60,000

• Humane Society At Lakewood Ranch, Inc
• Sarasota High School Mast Research Institute Boosters Incorporated
• Venice Challenger Baseball, Inc
• Venice Cat Coalition
• Circus Ring of Fame Foundation
• Sarasota Bradenton Kappa Alpha Psi Project Guide Right, Inc
• Transition Sarasota, Inc
• Fruitville Elementary School PTO, Inc
• Dial Hope Foundation, Inc
• Lost Pet Services, Inc

Most Unique Donors: Nonprofit Organizations With Expenses >$60,000 & <$500,000

• Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson's
• WSLR, Inc
• Wildlife Center of Venice Inc. d/b/a Paul A. and Veronica H. Gross Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida
• Urbanite Theatre, Inc
• Fox Foster Kittens, Inc
• Young Life of Manatee County
• St. Joseph Food Pantry
• Galatians 6:2 Inc (dba Hope 4 Communities)
• South County Food Pantry, Inc
• The Twig Cares

Most Unique Donors: Nonprofit Organizations With Expenses > $500,000

• All Faiths Food Bank, Inc.
• Venice Theatre
• Florida Studio Theatre, Inc
• Honor Sanctuary, Inc. d/b/a Honor Animal Rescue
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, Inc.
• Cat Depot
• Animal Welfare League Of Charlotte County Florida, Inc
• Operation Second Chance, Inc
• Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc

Congratulations to all of our winners! The Patterson Foundation looks forward to watching these new donor relationships unfold and the good they will help fuel in our region.