Golden Belt Community Foundation just completed its ninth Giving Tuesday campaign, wrapping up and announcing the results during a Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday morning.
Giving Tuesday started as a day for anyone, anywhere to give, and it has grown into the biggest giving movement in the world. Giving Tuesday harnesses the generosity of millions of people around the world to support the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following U.S. Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday inspires millions of people across the globe to show up and give back to causes and issues that matter to them.
This year over 1,000 gifts were made to support 104 local charitable organizations and endowment funds raising a total of $288,512.
“This year marked GBCF’s 9th year to be a Giving Tuesday partner,” stated Mackenzie Mitchell, Development and Communications Coordinator, “and again this year we invited all charitable organizations in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties to participate.”
Mitchell further explained that there were four new organizations participating, and that each organization chose whether to get any gifts received as a grant back to their organization – or to use the gifts to build their endowment fund at GBCF.
About half of the organizations will be receiving the gifts as grants to be put to immediate use supporting a wide variety of missions and causes.
“Today GBCF will be awarding over $228,000 in grants,” Mitchell explained. The 2022 Top Ten Giving Tuesday organizations and funds raised are:
1) Prince of Peace Catholic Church $40,261.06
2) Barton County Historical Society $33,554.44
3) Holy Family School Endowment $15,706.44
4) GPS Kids Club Endowment $12,434.33
5) United Way of Central Kansas $11,141.47
6) Prairie Godmother Fund $9,697.04
7) Golden Belt Humane Society $8,003.75
8) Family Crisis Center, Inc. $7,208.96
9) Community Food Bank of Barton County $7,104.66
10) Meals on Wheels of Barton County $6,567.80
“Thank you for your support, participation, and spreading the word about Giving Tuesday”, said GBCF Executive Director Christy Tustin. “Giving Tuesday couldn’t happen without you."
Year four for the Most Generous City Award, which was calculated with gift totals by zip code per capita. Pawnee Rock received the 2022 Most Generous City award, and the foundation will make a grant of $1,000 to an organization or project in that community.
In 2023 Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on Nov. 28.
For questions about Golden Belt Community Foundation or Giving Tuesday, please contact the foundation at [email protected] or (620) 792-3000.