Hundreds of area nonprofits are gearing up for the 10th Giving Challenge, a 24-hour online event hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County that supports programs and causes helping thousands of local residents.
This year’s challenge takes place from noon Wednesday, April 15, to noon Thursday, April 16.
It connects about 750 nonprofits in Sarasota, Manatee, DeSotto and Charlotte counties with donors seeking to make an enduring impact in the lives of fellow residents, according to the Community Foundation.
Though the event is primarily digital, this year there the Challenge with feature numerous “Pop-up Giving Stations.”
The Stations – stretching from Anna Maria to Punta Gorda – involve participating nonprofits that are coming together, inviting potential donors to connect with their organizations, learn about their programs and make a direct donation.
One such station is the Unity Pop-Up Giving Collective in Sarasota’s Newtown, to be held on Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Historic Leonard Reid House, 2529 Orange Avenue.
Participating organizations in the Newtown pop-up include:
Information on all the organizations will be provided during the event, which will also provide details on how to make donations as part of the Giving Challenge.
The event will also include food, interactive art projects for kids and a chance to explore the exhibits of the Leonard Reid House.
Other organizations hosting Pop-up Stations include:
Each event includes numerous other nonprofit partners.
Visit www.givingchallenge.org/info/pop-up-giving-station for information on the Pop-up Stations.
Gifts made during the Giving Challenge are strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, which will contribute a 1-to-1 match for unique donations between $25 and $100, per donor, per nonprofit.
There is no limit on the number of unique individual matches a nonprofit can receive.
Since 2012, the nine previous Giving Challenges have raised more than $92 million in unrestricted funding for local nonprofits. Of that total, The Patterson Foundation has contributed more than $37 million in matches and other incentives.
During the 24-hour event, longtime residents as well as new ones to the area can learn about the region’s nonprofits as they scour The Giving Partner – the searchable online database through which the agencies register and participate.
For more information, visit the Giving Challenge website at givingchallenge.org.
This story comes from a partnership between the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Saundra Amrhein covers the Season of Sharing campaign, along with issues surrounding housing, utilities, child care and transportation in the area. She can be reached at samrhein@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 2026 Giving Challenge spotlights Sarasota area’s community spirit
Reporting by Saundra Amrhein, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Saundra Amrhein, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
