SIDNEY — The Community Foundation of Shelby County will hold its Match Day event, on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3. The foundation will offer a total of $80,000 to sixteen local charities that can each receive a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $5,000.
“Last year, we hoped to generate $140,000 in local giving by offering a $70,000 match to 13 charities,” said Marian Spicer, executive director. “We were awed by the generosity of people who gave $210,000 on behalf of participating organizations. Combined with the $70,000 in matching money we offered, more than $280,000 was raised. We want participating charities to exceed that amount this year.
“The matching dollars are given by to the Community Foundation by locals who saw the positive effect of the event. Dave Ross, a Sidney native and Fort Loramie area resident, stepped forward to offer a significant amount for the Match Day pool and two anonymous donors added gifts to achieve the $80,000 level,” she said.
Participating organizations are challenging their supporters to give to the Community Foundation and to earmark gifts for their charity. Gifts must be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County and received by Dec. 3 to be eligible for the match. Match Day coincides with the nationally known Giving Tuesday, which is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
The local foundation was established Nov. 17, 1952, and has grown to $34 million in assets. It administers nearly 200 charitable funds, including scholarship, donor advised, designated, organization and community granting funds. Participating organizations were selected because of having a 501(c)(3) tax status and an organization fund within the foundation that had as asset balance over the minimum fund size. Gifts received will not be placed into an organization’s fund, but instead returned to the organization and put to work in the community.
Participating organizations are Alpha Community Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby and Darke County, Compassionate Care of Shelby County, Historic Sidney Theatre, Operation Rebirth, S&H Products, Samaritan Works, Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County, Shelby County Arc, Shelby County Historical Society, Shelby County Libraries Foundation, Shelby County United Way, Sidney Alive, Sidney First United Methodist Church, Sidney-Shelby County YMCA and Wilma Valentine Childcare.
For details, go to www.commfoun.com and view Match Day information in the Giving section.
