Over the past few years our community has experienced a pandemic, wildfires, economic upheaval, numerous business closures, physical confinement and mental unease. While 2022 has been trending in the right direction, the “new normal” is difficult for many individuals, families and institutions throughout our region, particularly for those who entered this period with less means.
What may be most remembered and revered after all this passes, however, is how some folks shined in a time of crisis and, even more importantly, how our community—as a whole—came together for the good.
Nonprofits are vital to our community and a cornerstone to what defines us, what exemplifies our values and spirit. Perhaps you’ve utilized resources local nonprofits offer to care for your parents, or children, for legal advice, for critical health care services, for local educational, arts or music events, for pet care or adoption services, for recreation opportunities. Chances are high you’ve interfaced with a dozen or more local groups in recent weeks and months.
Without the more than 1,000 local nonprofits working tirelessly to fulfill their missions every day, our community would look and feel like a very different place. Their collective missions and programs have a huge impact on our lives. They work tirelessly to fulfill their organization missions. It’s not easy.
And each serves its own essential role and needs your support, however that looks.
More than a decade ago, the Weekly decided we could leverage our resources and create a new program for local philanthropy to support the nonprofit community. We first established the Monterey County Weekly Community Fund as a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) back in 2000. In 2009, we created an annual appeal to our readers—Monterey County Gives!
Today, Monterey County Gives! is a special project of Monterey County Weekly in partnership with CFMC, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, and our other major partners, enabling you to donate in traditional ways, or through different types of gifts, such as via your IRA retirement fund.
In last year’s campaign, Monterey County Gives! raised over $9.6 million in six weeks, thanks to more than 7,500 donors. That’s impactful. Since its inception, the program has raised and donated over $45 million to approximately 500 local nonprofits.
Collaboration. Partnership. Synergy. These are the keys to MCGives!
The campaign is a partnership between Monterey County Weekly, the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, coupled with the generosity of our major partners—Gunde & Ernie Posey Family Foundation, the Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Colburn and Alana Jones Foundation at CFMC and the Cannery Row Company. Thanks to our partners, MCGives! kicks off this year’s campaign with an overall Matching Fund of $750,000.
Many participating nonprofits stepped up and raised Challenge Gifts from key supporters, to spur more giving and new donors from the community. Those gifts total nearly $1,945,000 to kick off this year’s campaign.
Combined, Monterey County Gives! kicked off this year’s program with over $2.8 million in Matching and Challenge Gifts.
We invite you to participate and support MCGives!, become a donor, and help spread the word. If you would, pass along the special print edition of Monterey County Gives! to a friend or co-worker. Use the social media tools on this website to post your support of Monterey County Gives! Encourage your kids to become involved (some families have even given their kids a small amount of money to donate through MCGives! to groups of their choosing, teaching their children the power of philantrophy).
Every bit helps. We’re in this together, and can collectively create positive change for all of us who call Monterey County home.
Bradley Zeve, Monterey County Weekly in collaboration with
Dan Baldwin, Community Foundation for Monterey County
Steve John, Monterey Peninsula Foundation
and our other generous major partners
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