I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County will host its 10th online giving day next year from noon to noon, April 15-16. For 24 hours, our community will once again come together to support the incredible nonprofit organizations across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.

It’s amazing to think about the first Giving Challenge in 2012, when we raised $2.4 million for 107 nonprofits over 36 hours. Fast forward to 2024, and our community rallied to raise a staggering $17.2 million in just 24 hours, benefiting 724 nonprofits. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of individuals like you, the Giving Challenge has become one of the top 10 largest giving days in the country, according to The Foundation Review, a publication of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. Since 2012, our generous community has raised more than $92 million in unrestricted funding for organizations that play a critical role in our region’s health and vitality.

Each Giving Challenge is a celebration of the nonprofit spirit and the generous hearts of everyone who participates. For 24 hours we get to witness the generosity of tens of thousands of people whose caring nature makes our community unique. During the 2024 Challenge, more than 50,000 unique donors made more than 90,000 gifts.

One of the most powerful aspects of the Giving Challenge is the 1:1 match offered by our longtime partner, The Patterson Foundation. Since the beginning, The Patterson Foundation has contributed nearly $37 million to the Giving Challenge. The Patterson Foundation will continue this tradition in 2026, matching all unique donations up to $100 per donor, per nonprofit, with no limit on the number of matches an organization can receive. This means your gift has double the impact and you can be the one to make a difference in our community.

During the 2024 event, four amazing donors joined what we have coined “The 100% Club”—people who have fully maximized their giving power by donating $100 to each of the participating 724 nonprofits. Their donations resulted in $144,800 worth of support per donor after the match. Stories like these are a powerful reminder that every gift matters and that together we can accomplish incredible things.

But the Giving Challenge is about more than just fundraising. In the months leading up to the giving day, participating nonprofits will have access to free trainings and workshops designed to help them strengthen their outreach, build collaborations and fine-tune marketing strategies to amplify their impact. It’s a full-circle approach to community building—empowering organizations not only with dollars but with tools for long-term success.

Registration for the 2026 program will begin in fall 2025. Nonprofits interested in participating will be able to find registration details and training opportunities at givingchallenge.org later this year. An active profile in The Giving Partner, an online directory of nonprofit organizations, is required for eligibility. 

The countdown to April 2026 starts now, and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope you’ll join us in making this 10th Giving Challenge our biggest and most impactful yet.

Kirsten Russell is Vice President of Community Impact, The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.