The 12th annual Greater Emporia Area Match Day, hosted by the Emporia Community Foundation (ECF), will be held on Monday, Nov.17.
Last year’s event set a record, raising $769,253.21 from nearly 1,400 generous donors in support of 35 nonprofits in the Greater Emporia Area. This represented an 11% increase over the previous year. Area nonprofits doing charitable work in our community can now apply to participate in this year’s competitive application process with a deadline of no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28, for application submission.
In order to be considered for participation, all applicants must have an operating budget of $175,000 or under, a fund with the ECF meeting required guidelines and be located in and serve one of the seven counties in the Emporia Community Foundation’s region, including Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee.
Match Day applications are available via the Foundation’s website at www. emporiacf.org. Nonprofits may also request a copy from the Foundation office at 620-342-9304; or pick one up at 527 Commercial St. Ste. B. Applications may be submitted electronically or delivered to the Foundation office no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28.
The committee will begin reviewing applications mid-April with plans to announce the participating nonprofits in May. The competitive application process is a challenging one because not every nonprofit is chosen. The committee members carefully review all applications to make their determinations, and the decisions are never easy.
Since inception in 2013, Match Day has led to almost $3.10 million being disbursed to nearly 60 non-profits in Lyon and surrounding counties.
“The ECF is excited to provide area non-profits with this fundraising opportunity which has become one of the major giving events for the Emporia community. Match Day helps nonprofit organizations grow their funds so they can fulfill promises to our communities for years to come,” said Linda Kehres- Schmidt, ECF Executive Director.
“The event gives nonprofits a chance to showcase the work they are doing and highlight their projects and programs. It also helps to boost their own fundraising activities and improves visibility around their mission,” she stated.
For the donors, Match Day provides an opportunity to stretch their dollars farther because their donation is matched, enabling them to make an even greater impact. To learn how you can become a matching donor contact Kehres-Schmidt at 620342-9304.
