Community Foundation leads Give-Athon to benefit local nonprofits

Ashley Wheeler-Gerds of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, right, watches donations come in online with Kristina Donohue, the development director of Kimberly’s Center For Child Protection, left, during the opening of Give4Marion at Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Give4Marion, an online giving opportunity, was started by the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County to support our local nonprofits. Now in its third year, the campaign has become a staple of the foundation’s Nonprofit Resource Center and is an important annual fundraiser.

This year’s Give4Marion began 10 a.m. Sept. 20 and runs through 7 p.m. Sept. 21.

Give4Marion offers people a convenient way to give to multiple nonprofit organizations and charitable funds through a single platform. Results are updated on Give4Marion.org in real time, showing total giving, top fundraisers and more.

With a minimum donation of just $10, people can choose from a wide array of nonprofit organizations from their computers and mobile devices. Donations can be made online using a credit card or bank transfer. Offline gifts can also be made via checks and cash.

Individuals and businesses will be able to easily support causes they are passionate about to make a real difference in Marion County. Give4Marion provides nonprofit organizations the opportunity to reach thousands of new donors and boost their visibility within the community throughout the campaign.

This year, more than 85 nonprofit organizations are expected to participate. A record number of local businesses and charitable foundations have also agreed to be event sponsors, offering bonus prizes to nonprofits. A total of 32 power hour prizes will be awarded to large and small nonprofits, respectively, with the most donors within the hour. There are also scheduled Matching Moments, where all donations are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100 and several nonprofits have secured their own matching gifts as well.

In year one, Give4Marion raised more than $310,000, with 1,154 individual donors and 1,592 total donations. In 2021, donations increased by 83% to a total of $532,000 raised for 75 participating nonprofits, with 2,267 individual donors and 3,251 donations.

To learn more about the foundation, go to ocalafoundation.org

To make a donation, visit give4marion.org by Sept. 21 until 7 p.m.