Philanthropy for All? Inside Give Methow Fundraising Campaign

The Methow Valley is aglow with the spirit of giving.

Give Methow, an online fundraising campaign spearheaded by the Community Foundation of NCW, has proven wondrously successful, raising nearly a million dollars ($929,372) in October.

This epic feat was nearly 10 years in the making. Give Methow was launched in 2015 to help small, underseen, chronically underfunded local nonprofits get their due. Any 501 (c)(3) public charity can participate so long as it's based in the Methow Valley and in good standing.

Not only that, but the campaign empowers low- and middle-income people to become philanthropists. (And you thought philanthropy was the province of tax-averse oligarchs!) Minimum donations start at $10. Donors are not on the hook for excessive credit card fees; those are paid by the Community Foundation, "ensuring that 100% of each contribution goes directly to participating nonprofits," according to a press release.

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"This year’s campaign was supported by multiple matching gifts that boosted contributions to the Give to All fund, which ultimately totaled $172,274.09. The matches included a $50,000 challenge match from the Methow Valley Fund, an $11,000 donation from the Partners in Giving (PIG) Program, a $40,000 donation from an anonymous donor, and a $10,000 match from the Community Foundation of NCW."

Consequently, each participating nonprofit received an infusion of over $3,000. Not too shabby!

"In addition to individual donations and matching funds, the campaign featured Funday Monday events throughout October. Donors who contributed on Mondays were entered into drawings for $500 Give Methow gifts, with a total of $3,000 in prizes awarded to nonprofits chosen by the winners."

It all started on October 1 at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop, where nonprofits partook in a friendly mini-Olympics. Throughout the month brewery patrons were encouraged to round up their purchases to support the Give Methow campaign.