By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Thanksgiving Day is about showing gratitude for the good things in our lives. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a day to give to organizations that help make some of those good things possible. Last year, the Golden Belt Community Foundation raised nearly $340,000 for 98 area organizations through its Giving Tuesday campaign. GBCF Development and Communications Coordinator Mackenzie Mitchell said there are even more organizations to assist this year.
"We have 104 organizations this year, which is the most we've ever had, so that's super exciting," she said. "We have four organizations this year that have never been part of Giving Tuesday."
Giving Tuesday started as a day for anyone to give and has grown into the biggest giving movement in the world. The local campaign actually began on Nov. 1, but Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29 is the final big push.
There are several ways to donate on Giving Tuesday. Stop in at the GBCF building at 1307 Williams Street in Great Bend, or mail donations to Golden Belt Community Foundation, PO Box 1911, Great Bend, Kan. 67530. Many banks in Barton, Pawnee, Stafford, and Rush counties will also be taking donations on Nov. 29.
"If people don't want to come to our office, or if they just have a few minutes on their lunch break, they can do a drive-by at the bank and drop them off there," Mitchell said. "And we do still have the incentives for giving online at certain times throughout the day on Giving Tuesday."
The website is goldenbeltgives.org. Four random winners picked from select donation times will win $100 to give to their favorite organization. That contest begins at 6 a.m. on Nov. 29 and wraps up at midnight.
The community that donates the most funds, per capita, will win a $1,000 special grant to be used to support a community program or project. Olmitz won the award last year, and Great Bend won two years ago, opting to use the money on a youth police academy.
Each participating organization will have the option of using the funds immediately or building its endowment fund at GBCF. Last year, GBCF awarded $240,000 in grants at the Great Charity Giveback event in mid-December. Last year saw an 85-percent increase in donations, and Mitchell hopes to see similar numbers this December.
"Looking at gifts coming in, it looks the same as last year," she said. "We're intrigued to see how it's going to turn out. Last year was a huge year. The world is in a different place now, and if you listen to media, giving is down, or people don't seem to be giving as much. On our end, it's coming in, and it looks just like last year. It will be interesting to see if we can keep that momentum going."