Sparking Creative Connections Through the 2020 Giving Challenge

For our region’s caring nonprofit network, COVID-19 has caused shifts in everything from the way teams work together to flux in how they persist in fulfilling their mission. We laud those who are asking themselves, “What is possible?” and “Who else cares?” leading to new collaborations and creativity. Amid this uncertainty, we’ve seen many organizations exercise inspiring resourcefulness, adapting to our current reality and connecting with those they serve online.

While inspiring, it’s not altogether surprising. That same creativity has been on display in the days and months leading up to each iteration of the Giving Challenge since 2012. This day of generosity has afforded nonprofits the opportunity to explore, develop, and embed innovative approaches to share their story and engage donors. The conversations created out of this engagement have sparked supporters of these organizations into action while introducing new donors to causes aligned with their personal passions.

As an online giving event, first and foremost, the timing of the 2020 Giving Challenge is especially fortuitous in our current reality. While in-person events and experiences have been one of the most exciting aspects in previous years, the Giving Challenge gives nonprofits an opportunity to think outside the box of their traditional donor engagement strategy and adapt high-tech, high-touch outreach methods. The social media campaigns, streamed programming, and other digital platforms developed by organizations participating in the Giving Challenge inform and strengthen their ability to effectively connect with people year-round.

This makes the 2020 Giving Challenge uniquely resilient among our region’s ever-evolving slate of events, and we applaud the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s commitment to host the event from noon April 28 to noon April 29 as scheduled. Additionally, The Patterson Foundation is proud to strengthen the 2020 Giving Challenge with its previously announced contributions:

• A 1:1 match for unique donations between $25–$100 per donor, per nonprofit organization. There will be no limit on the number of unique individual matches a nonprofit organization can receive.
  
  
• $51,000 in prizes to nonprofit organizations that cultivate the highest number of unique donors.

The Patterson Foundation is taking a calculated risk by contributing to this opportunity without a cap, putting the power to create impact in our region into the hands of nonprofits and donors. Their efforts and impact powered by previous Giving Challenge funds more than affirms The Foundation’s shared aspiration for success. With over 700 regional nonprofits from The Giving Partner eligible for Giving Challenge funds, donors can choose how they want to make a difference during this time.

The unrestricted funds raised during the 2020 Giving Challenge give nonprofits the flexibility to meet the evolving demands COVID-19 has placed upon their essential work in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. This, along with the digital nature of the event, makes the Giving Challenge one of the most effective ways for people to create a stronger future for our nonprofit community in the wake of COVID-19 — and, in turn, strengthen those whose lives have been significantly impacted by the pandemic.

As our own staff adjusts to a remote office environment, The Patterson Foundation is well aware that our current circumstances have necessitated a shift in priorities for many nonprofits and a reconfiguration of their outreach methods — methods often created through years of learnings with previous Giving Challenge efforts. To jump-start nonprofit engagement with our caring community around the 2020 Giving Challenge, The Patterson Foundation is sharing daily tips organizations and donors can use to strengthen opportunities to connect over the next 30 days. Across The Patterson Foundation’s social media and digital channels, people will find a steady stream of helpful hints and ways to create conversations between nonprofits and donors while optimizing outreach and activities leading up to the 24-hour event. Fundraising guru Sara Leonard, who works on TPF’s Margin & Mission Ignition Initiative will be working with TPF’s Stacy Sternberg and MagnifyGood to create and deliver these creative morsels.

This support is just one aspect of The Patterson Foundation’s holistic approach toward strengthening people, organizations, and communities in our region affected by the pandemic. While this commitment to the Giving Challenge uplifts the region’s nonprofit community, the ongoing up to $1 million contribution to the reactivated Season of Sharing campaign bolsters individuals and families facing undue financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Follow The Patterson Foundation on Facebook and Twitter to receive tips on ways to creatively harness the opportunities of the 2020 Giving Challenge from now until the April 28 kickoff. As with previous years, the Giving Challenge is our caring community’s time to shine, and we look forward to witnessing the inspiring ways nonprofits and donors connect in the month ahead.