In another record-breaking year, Challengers and donors contributed an astounding $842,602 to the 14th annual Challenge for Charities (C4C) community-wide fundraiser. Lander nonprofits raised a whopping $641,753. The 117 Challengers surpassed our ambitious goal of $200,000 and contributed $200,849 to the Matching Fund. Over $3.6 Million of the almost $7 Million has been raised since 2020.
“I remarked to a guest at the ceremony last night how saying thank you seems insufficient, not grand enough. Somehow this community and our friends who live outside of Lander continue to donate more and more to C4C. People understand the greater impact a gift through C4C has since the Challenger Matching Fund adds the incentive of “extra dollars” with every donation. To say that I am impressed and grateful to everyone who participated in C4C is an understatement. The philanthropic leadership our Challengers provide is remarkable. This fundraiser would not be as successful without the Challengers’ contributions,” said LCF Executive Director Mary Greene.
How Challenge for Charities works. To participate, people donate to the charities of their choice through LCF during the giving period (May 1-July 10). This is a streamlined way for nonprofits to raise money while staying focused on their mission. Challengers are people who provide money to a Matching Fund. The Matching Fund augments funds raised by the nonprofits. Matching funds can be as high as 60%. For example, a nonprofit that raises $10,000 (or more) from donors would receive an additional $6,000 in matching funds.
The $641,753 raised by the 52 participating nonprofits came from 3,522 individual donations. That is 1,005 more individual donations than in 2023. Add this total to the generosity from the Challenger Matching Fund of $200,849 and this year’s match came to 31%.
One of the stipulations to participate in this fundraiser is the money stays in Lander and is used to facilitate and operate nonprofit programs and services. These funds are all poured back into Lander and used for local programs and projects. Finally, 20 nonprofits met or exceeded the match cap of $10,000—another record and three more than in 2022.
“More nonprofits are raising more money through C4C each year. They recognize that this event is an effective tool for leveraging donations, and they’re becoming more adept at fundraising and promoting their work. This fundraiser works and programs thrive because of C4C. Additionally, we are seeing more new donors and more individual donations by people giving to these nonprofits through C4C. This is encouraging because it shows citizens realize the impact their donation has when they give through C4C,” Greene adds. “It’s working!”
We’d like to thank the Fremont County Pioneer Museum board and staff, especially Maggie Appleby, for their support and for hosting our ceremony at such a gorgeous venue. What a special museum we have right here!
Additionally, we want to acknowledge the help from County10 and KOVE radio who collaborated with LCF to facilitate radio spotlights for willing C4C nonprofits. This created the opportunity for locals to hear more about every nonprofit and no doubt contributed to the success of this year’s C4C. THANK YOU COUNTY10!
For more information about the Lander Community Foundation and for a full list of our 2024 Challenge for Charities Challengers, please visit our website, email us at info@landercommunityfoundation.org, or call 307-438-9247. Don’t forget to “Like” LCF on Facebook and follow us on Instagram!
