ExtraGive Or Not, Just Give
Sam Bressi for LNP
This Op Ed was published on November 6, 2022
ExtraGive 2022 is just days away. On Nov. 18, our community will come together to celebrate the best of Lancaster County – our generous spirit, our care for our friends and neighbors and our united commitment to a healthier, more vibrant future. Lancaster County is extraordinary in the way it puts our community first and embraces this 24-hour event as the kick-off to the giving season. ExtraGive is our day to shine.
Year after year we have seen that Lancaster is extraordinary because of YOU.
Since its launch in 2012, ExtraGive has become a transformative force for good in our community, raising more than $82 million from tens of thousands of generous givers – all for the benefit of hundreds of charitable organizations serving Lancaster County.
As ExtraGive has grown over the years, we have learned some things and made a few tweaks, challenging ourselves and the participating organizations to better serve our community. This year is no exception, with three donor-focused changes.
First, we’ve transitioned the leaderboard to a “Donor Leaderboard” on our website, ExtraGive.org, which will track the number of unique donors to each organization. We believe it is more impactful to show the number of our community members who are generously giving at any level, rather than focusing solely on the dollars raised.
With that same goal in mind, we’ve also adjusted the way we will distribute the Stretch Pool. Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor High Foundation and other corporate sponsors, there will be over half a million dollars in the Stretch Pool and Prizes. The Stretch Pool will be distributed based on the number of unique donors to each organization. The more unique donors that give to an organization, the more money it will get from the Stretch Pool.
Lastly, to increase transparency for donors, we’ve added a new requirement that all participating organizations submit a nondiscrimination policy that reflects their organizational values. Nondiscrimination policies, along with financial disclosures, are a best practice for nonprofit organizations. We believe our community is better served when institutions operate with openness and transparency, allowing donors to have access to the information they need to confidently choose how they give.
These three changes have one thing in common: We want everyone to just give!
ExtraGive is a reflection of our collective compassion. We are deeply inspired by the more than 40,000 donors who have supported hundreds of community-focused organizations that make Lancaster County an extraordinary place to call home. And we want those organizations to thrive so that they can continue to do good in our community.
For some organizations, ExtraGive is an opportunity to meet new donors. For some, it is the perfect complement to their annual fundraising efforts, giving them a much-needed boost to help meet their financial needs. For others, ExtraGive may not be the right fit – for any number of reasons – and that’s OK.
We love Lancaster County and believe deeply in our mission of emboldening this extraordinary community. Lancaster can only be extraordinary if we work together to build a more equitable and inclusive community. This, in turn will mean a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous future for all of us.
At its core, ExtraGive is a day for you, your family, and your friends to support the causes you care about. It is a day we come together to care for our community and cheer for each other. It’s a day for all of us.
Whether you give your time or your voice, whether you give $10 or $10,000, it’s the fact that you give that matters most.
We hope you join us in celebrating the spirit of giving through the ExtraGive on Friday, Nov.18.
But most importantly, whether you decide to give through ExtraGive or not, we encourage everyone to celebrate what makes Lancaster County special and JUST GIVE – in any way, and on any day, you can.
Sam Bressi is president and CEO of the Lancaster County Community Foundation.
