Sep 10, 2019 3 min read

WCCF Gives, Washington County’s official community-wide day of giving, is set for Thursday. During this one-day event, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Washington County Community Foundation will increase contributions made to the more than 100 participating charities, via www.wccfgives.org or by check, by a percentage of a $100,000 bonus pool. Since its inception seven years ago, WCCF Gives has raised more than $4.3 million in unrestricted grants to participating charities.

“We have been tremendously pleased with the response to our day of giving,” said Betsie Trew, WCCF President & CEO. “Charities love it because it enables them to participate in a high-profile fundraising event at no cost to those charities. Our donors love it too because it enables them to support all of their favorite charities with one contribution.”

The event has grown significantly since its inception in 2013, which resulted in $400,000 in grants made possible by 1,000 donors. In 2018 approximately $960,000 was granted to participating charities from the generosity of 2,700 donors. For some charities, WCCF Gives has become their major fundraising activity of the year. Other charities have reported that WCCF Gives has enabled them to secure additional donors, donors who learned about their charitable services through the WCCF Gives website.

Unlike many community foundations who charge a fee to charities to participate in their day of giving, the WCCF has never charged charities a fee to participate.

“Although our costs to administer the day of giving are considerable and continue to increase with the growth of the event, we have resisted the path taken by other community foundations to charge any fees to charities,” Trew said. “This year, for the first time, we are accepting contributions to the WCCF on the day of giving to help offset these costs. However, gifts to the WCCF will not be eligible for the bonus pool.”

The $100,000 bonus pool is distributed in two categories: 50% by the number of donors a charity secures and 50% by the total value of the contributions a charity secures. This distribution method helps to level the playing field for smaller charities who don’t typically have access to donors at higher giving levels, but who are working hard to increase their number of donors.

Donors are welcome to give as much as they would like during the event, but $10,000 per donor per charity is the maximum amount eligible for the bonus pool. Donors choosing to contribute to a charity via multiple giving methods (any combination of credit card, check, or cash transactions) will only be counted once toward that charity’s donor total.

The online donation portal on www.wccfgives.org will open at 8 a.m. WCCF Gives contributions via check will be eligible for the bonus pool if they are received at the foundation by 8 p.m. on Gives day. Check-writing donors wishing to support multiple charities are encouraged to submit only one check for the total amount along with an official WCCF Gives Check Contribution Form, which is available on www.wccfgives.org and at the Foundation’s office.

Sponsors of WCCF Gives 2019 include: ANSYS, Chapman Corp., Washington Financial Charitable Foundation, Alex E. Paris Contracting, Observer-Reporter, Washington Auto Mall, Atlas Services, and the WCCF Acorn Fund.