In the video below, Tim McGonigal talks with Sarah Cawley about Give Great Falls; the Great Falls Area Community Foundation hosts a week of giving each year to support dozens of non-profit agencies:
“We have 63 nonprofits this year that are registered for Give Great Falls,” said Great Falls Area Community Foundation chairperson Sarah Cawley.
WATCH:
The Great Falls Area Community Foundation has been supporting non-profits through grants for more than 30 years. This year’s Give Great Falls beneficiaries run the gamut.
“They range from Children Care with Peace Place to the Ursuline Center which is involved this year to the Great Falls Disc Golf Group. It’s really exciting to have them involved as well. I know that’s a big thing here in Great Falls,” said Cawley.
In addition to donating online through the Give Great Falls website, people can engage in fun activities each day of the campaign, beginning with ‘Bowling for a Cause’, Monday, April 28th from4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Black Eagle Community Center.
“There are eight teams that are going to be bowling for first place and that every team has picked a nonprofit that they're going to be supporting,” said Cawley.
The following day is ‘Take a Break Tuesday’, where participating restaurants donate a portion of proceeds to the foundation. That’s followed by a similar promotion called ‘Wake Up Wednesday’, with local coffee shops.
On Thursday at The Newberry (420 Central Avenue), the organization will host a non-profit showcase from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a chance for community members to learn more about the non-profits and their needs.
“The nonprofit showcase is a time where all 63 nonprofits are given the same platform to come and have a table at the event, and community members can come through and learn about every single one of these, or as many as they want to,” said Cawley. “Whether they need volunteers or board members or fruit roll-ups, depending on what the organization is, you can really get a handle on what is needed within the community, and it's really awesome.”
The week wraps up with a pour it forward event on Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m at local watering holes.
Participating nonprofits are also eligible for daily prizes.
Last year, the event raised more than $57,000. Cawley says this year the goal is $65,000. It's something she feels is attainable through fun events and convenient online donation.
“One of the really cool things about the platform as well is it's actually a shopping cart,” said Cawley. “So, you can go in and pick two to however many organizations that you want to donate to. There’s a minimum of $5 donations, and you can just add them all into your cart and make one big donation.”
For more information, click here to visit the website for more details.
