2020 Giving Challenge raises $18 million for nonprofits

Sidebar: Top 10 

All Faiths Food Bank, Inc - $621,236.78

Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, Inc.  - $295,320

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium - $241, 806

Florida Studio Theatre Inc. - $201, 932

Cat Depot - $201,190

Neuro Challenge for Parkinson’s - $200,760

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe - $190, 399

Venice Theatre - $189,800

Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County Florida - $173,878.83

Senior Friendship Centers  - $172,150

Sandra Frank, CEO of All Faiths Food Bank, said there has been a staggering increase of people needing food since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — she's never seen anything like it. 

Since mid-March, when the pandemic's economic effects began to prompt layoffs and business shutdowns and cut backs, the food bank has doubled its distribution and seen a 40 percent increase in clientele.

But if the current need has been unprecedented, so has the community response to meet it.

Humanitarian aid saw a boost during the 2020 Giving Partner Challenge, a 24-hour online fundraising event on April 28 which raised $18 million.   58,947 donors contributed to the fundraiser, which was overseen by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

"It was absolutely as shocking as it was happening," Frank said. 

All Faiths Food Bank, Inc led the challenge with its $620,000 raised. Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Florida Studio Theatre and Cat Depot rounded out the top five. Many organizations saw a dramatic increase in donations, with Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee jumping from $75,000 to $295,320. 

The final tally is a marked increase from the last time the event was held, in 2018, when $11 million was raised. The Patterson Foundation, a longtime benefactor for the challenge, provided a $100 match to every donation. Debra Jacobs of the Patterson Foundation, Roxie Jerde of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Judi Gallegher hosted the challenge’s grand total announcement. 

“It’s a long time in the making, work began 18 months ago,” said Mischa Kirby, Vice President Strategic Communications and Marketing for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “... The giving started at noon, and there was a lot of traffic.  I don’t think there was a time in the 25 hours that the (fundraising ticket) did not move.”

The money raised is unrestricted, meaning organizations can use it for whatever purpose they see fit. 

“With the aquarium closed, through March and April, that was costing us in the neighborhood of $26,000 a day,” said Andria Piekarz, Director of Development at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. “ It closed during spring break, during Easter …  that's just lost money. The giving challenge couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Mote Marine raised around $78,000 in 2018 and $240,000 this year. 

Piekarz said the organization started planning for the Giving Challenge in early February with a number of volunteers contacting donors. They transitioned to postcards, print advertisements and social media posts when COVID-19 hit. In lieu of a physical event, Mote Marine hosted a trivia game during the challenge that had almost 500 participants. 

The Florida Studio Theatre nonprofit raised more than $240,000, compared to around $85,000 in 2018. 

“This money is going to be used to pay our core salaries and keep the lights on,” said Rebecca Hopkins, Managing Director of Florida Studio Theatre. “We're tightening up everything we can. We're dealing with layoffs, just like everybody else … It's really that simple, there's nothing fancy going on now. It's how we're going to keep people employed.”