WHITEFISH - About a month ago, the Whitefish Community Foundation began its 11th annual Great Fish Community Challenge, which helped 85 non-profits raise over $6.5 million.
“To put it into perspective, last year the non-profits raised about 5.4 million. This year it's over 6.5, so it's a huge increase, over a million dollars extra and that excludes the match fund," said Alan Davis, Whitefish Community Foundation's President and CEO.
The match fund is fundraised all year by the Whitefish Community Foundation, giving a percentage back to the non-profits — motivating donors to give.
Watch to learn more about the Great Fish Community Challenge:
“They can go to their donors and say, now is the time to give to support our work because the Whitefish Community Fund will match your gift,” Davis said.
DREAM Adaptive Recreation is one of the many non-profits that benefited from the fundraiser, raising around $300,000 from the event.
“DREAM's mission is to enhance the quality of life of individuals with disabilities through year-round recreational opportunities," executive director Julie Tickle said.
The non-profit has been a part of the challenge for all 11 years and says that there are many reasons why they have all been so successful.
“It's a blend of outreach, it's a blend of just building relationships each year, and the strength of those relationships carry us through to have a successful challenge," Tickle said.
The donations will go directly towards the non-profit's programs as well as other company needs.
“There's so much that goes into running our programs that the funds in the Great Fish really helps us lift all of that," Tickle said.
With the final donations trickling through, the Whitefish Community Foundation is gearing up for the final part of the challenge — the Great Fish Awards Ceremony.
“We bring together all the non-profits that participate, we award them the amount that they raised, and then we announce that match," Davis said.
The free ceremony will take place on Oct. 21 at the Wachholz College Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
