We want to congratulate the many nonprofit organizations in Northeast Pennsylvania who took part in the annual NEPA Gives initiative sponsored by the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SACF) and the NEPA Nonprofit & Community Assistance Center (NCAC). This year, NEPA Gives opened its doors to include Susquehanna and Wyoming counties in the Endless Mountains region. So, we’re especially proud of the organizations that participated for the first time.
On June 4, 218 participating organizations raised more than $1.2 million in donations. Of the seven non-profits to which Cabot provided cash matches, three made the Top 100.
Countryside Conservancy, which manages nature preserves and trails in Susquehanna, Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, finished in fourth place. Two years into the initiative, they solicited $36,576 from 112 donors, surpassing their goal of $25,000. In addition to the amount that Cabot contributed, Countryside Conservancy picked up a couple of prizes from the sponsors along the way. This included a $5,000 bonus for the medium-size organization to earn the most over the 24-hour donation period. “We spent a lot more time preparing, so I was hopeful,” said Conservancy director Bill Kern. “At the end of the day, I’m always blown away by how generous our area is.
The Wyoming County Cultural Center (WCCC) garnered $16,460 for their efforts, including a $500 prize for getting a donation the closest to 7 a.m. that day. The Cultural Center is the home of the Dietrich Theater, and its staff, board members and volunteers rallied for the campaign, keeping social media followers apprised of their progress throughout the day.
“We were absolutely amazed by the outpouring of support we received on NEPA Gives Day,” said WCCC director Erica Rogler. They got some important help from Jesse Ergott of NeighborWorks PA. He shared what that organization had done the previous year and helped Erica and her team develop a strategy.
Susquehanna County Interfaith picked up $2,325, including a $500 prize for organizations serving the disability community, to help fund their initiatives. The money is for Interfaith’s Back to School Shoe Program and building renovations. According to Interfaith director Cynthia Beeman, it was the second year that key supporter and blogger Andi Marrs spearheaded their efforts, with social media help this year from intern Maria Wetzel.
“Last year, we had more individual donors, but this year the donors gave larger gifts,” Cynthia told us. For example, Interfaith also received two significant offline donations totaling $2,000 but forgot to add them to their total, which Cynthia feels might have encouraged more people to help them meet their goal. She’s confident though that donations will continue to arrive in coming weeks.
In addition to learning from other organizations, Erica recommends taking full advantage of the help offered by the SACF. “They have so many tools to utilize and are readily available to help with any questions,” she remarked. In addition to Cabot, the Dietrich Theater was also able to secure matching funds from numerous individual and families. Many of these folks have been long-time supporters. The money they raised will help the Cultural Center provide more programming for people of all ages.
Cabot also thanks the staff of the Commonwealth Charitable Management (CCM) and the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains. They provided so much guidance for our participants, and we’re thankful that they were able to help!
