Since 2016, the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) has given over $400,000 to match community contributions of more than $1.5 million through Match Day, benefitting endowments that provide ongoing, annual support to local nonprofits. This year, we’re expanding Match Day into a full five-day event called Match Week, which will run November 10-14, coinciding with the start of National Community Foundation Week—and we want you to participate!
If you’re new to Match Week, check out our Match Week FAQ at the bottom of this post. Otherwise, here’s what you need to know:
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Sponsorship benefits
- Be part of something BIG. Last year, CFSEK raised $264,000 on Match Day through 755 gifts to 43 organizations’ endowments. With Match Day becoming Match Week, we’re hoping this fundraiser can be bigger and better than ever!
- Make a lasting difference. The endowments that Match Week supports are invested to grow over time, providing ongoing, annual support to the nonprofits that are improving life for everyone in Southeast Kansas.
- Have an immediate impact. At the end of Match Week, participating organizations can request their share of the match pool and sponsorship amounts for immediate use.
- Get noticed. We’ll be publicly thanking our sponsors in multiple ways in the run-up to, during, and after Match Week.1
- Really get noticed. For businesses only, our limited Platinum Match Sponsorships offer even greater exposure!
- PLUS: Check out the PDF or explanations below for a summary of how we’ll recognize your business or donor-advised fund for Match Week.
Challenge sponsorships ($500 minimum)
Eligible sponsors: Businesses and donor-advised funds
Challenge sponsors support one or more participating funds that satisfy a predefined challenge. Challenges will be set collaboratively by CFSEK and each challenge sponsor. This is your chance to get creative!
Recognition
- Your business or DAF will be listed as a challenge sponsor in a Match Week blog post on SoutheastKansas.org and on a new webpage devoted to challenges on SEKGives.org.
Unlimited challenge sponsorships are available. Check out the detailed rules for challenges below.
Gold match sponsorships ($5,000 minimum)
Eligible sponsors: Businesses and donor-advised funds
Gold sponsorship amounts are added to CFSEK’s match pool, which will be divided among participating endowment funds in proportion to each fund’s share of community donations during Match Week.
Recognition
- Your business or donor-advised fund will be listed as a challenge sponsor in a Match Week blog post on SoutheastKansas.org.
- Your business logo, if any, will be included in the Match Week blog post, in the Sponsors section of SEKGives.org, and in a post on our Facebook page.
- CFSEK will thank you in a post dedicated to your sponsorship on our Facebook page before Match Week.
- Your business or donor-advised fund will be recognized in Match Week press releases.
Unlimited gold sponsorships are available.
Platinum match sponsorships ($10,000 minimum)
Eligible sponsors: Businesses only
Platinum sponsorship amounts are added to CFSEK’s match pool, which will be divided among participating endowment funds in proportion to each fund’s share of community donations during Match Week.
- All Gold Sponsorship benefits.
- We’ll produce a 30-second video highlighting your business.
- We’ll feature your business as the primary sponsor of one full day during Match Week on SEKGives.org and our Facebook page.
- Your business logo will receive premium positioning in all digital and print materials, including on the printable Match Week donation form that will be mailed to hundreds of local residents!
Only five platinum sponsorships are available–the same number of sponsorships as there are business days during Match Week!
Become a sponsor
Join us in making Match Week 2025 the biggest and most impactful yet! Secure your sponsorship by September 30 by completing the form below.
Challenge sponsorships: Detailed rules
- Collaborative definition. CFSEK will work with each challenge sponsor to develop an appropriate challenge that complies with the following rules.
- Open to all funds. Challenges must be open to all funds, even though only one or some may benefit. For example, “The first fund to receive donations from 10 unique donors” is acceptable, but “Fund X if it can reach 10 unique donors” is not.
- Failure is not an option. Challenges must be defined such that it is almost certain that at least one fund will meet the challenge, based either on the logic of the challenge or past Match Day experience.
- Default. To the extent a challenge isn’t met, the balance of the sponsorship amount will be added to the overall CFSEK match pool.
- Official timing. All donations will be counted as made when recorded in SEKGives.org. CFSEK staff will record in-person and mailed donations as soon as possible after receipt, but the best way to ensure a gift counts during the timeframe when a challenge is active is to give online.
- No self-giving. A donation by an organization to a fund that benefits itself will not count for any challenges. However, an independent donation by an individual associated with or employed by an organization to a fund that benefits that organization will count for challenges.
- Anonymous donations. All anonymous donations will be counted as a single, combined donation for purposes of challenges that require unique donors or donations.
- Ties. Ties will be resolved by (a) evenly splitting the award between the tied funds or (b) randomly selecting one qualifying fund to receive the award. Challenge sponsors may choose which method they prefer.
- Eligibility minimums. A fund must receive at least one donation during the timeframe of a challenge to be eligible for that challenge.
Challenge inspirations and tips
We were inspired by the prizes offered by the Community Foundation of Abilene (Texas). Please check out their website for inspiration, review the suggestions below, or bring us your own challenge ideas!
- Most (or least) unique donors during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Most (or least) raised during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Most (or least) (or highest or lowest proportion of) new donors during Match Week.
- Most (or least) (or highest or lowest proportion of) returning donors during Match Week.
- Furthest-away donor during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Most (or least) unique donors in (or outside of) a particular town, county, state, or region.
- Most (or least) online donations during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Most (or least) in-person donations brought to the CFSEK office during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Randomly select a fund that receives at least one donation during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
- Randomly select a fund that is participating in Match Week and has participated in Match Day every year since 2016.
- Provide a dollar-for-dollar match for every gift up to a set maximum during (an hour, morning or afternoon, day, or all week).
Please email Joshua McCloud with any questions.
Match Week FAQ
Have questions about Match Week? Check out the information below for a more in-depth look at how it all works.
What’s Match Week?
Match Week is a weeklong fundraiser for local nonprofit organizations’ endowments held at CFSEK. During Match Week, the Community Foundation offers some of its own money (which we call our match pool) to match community contributions to participating endowment funds.
How do you decide how much money each fund receives?
At the end of Match Week, we’ll total up all community donations to participating funds and figure out what percentage of the total each fund received. Then, we’ll divide our match pool among participating funds based on that percentage, up to a maximum of 20% per fund. For example, if a fund receives 10% of community donations during Match Week, then we’ll give 10% of the total match pool to that fund. But if a fund receives 25% of community donations during Match Week, it will only receive 20% of the match pool. The extra 5% of the match pool will be divided among other participating funds in proportion to their community donations.
What happens to Match Week donations and matching amounts?
All community donations are placed in the endowment funds selected by donors when they give. Since 2023, we’ve given the organizations that benefit from participating endowments the option of receiving their share of the match pool as an immediate distribution. Otherwise, it, too, will be placed in their endowment.
How do sponsorships fit in?
We’re offering two types of sponsorships for Match Week 2025.
- Challenge Sponsorships ($500 minimum) will support one or more participating funds that satisfy a predefined challenge. Challenges will be set collaboratively by CFSEK and each challenge sponsor. Sponsorship amounts will increase the amount offered as a match to the fund or funds that satisfy the challenge criteria. (Check out the detailed rules for challenges above.)
- Match Sponsorships grow our total match pool, supporting all participating funds in proportion to community donations. Two levels of Match Sponsorships are available: Gold ($5,000 minimum) and Platinum ($10,000 minimum, limited to 5 sponsors).
For example, imagine that CFSEK offers $100,000 as its match pool, Match Sponsors offer a combined $50,000, and a challenge sponsor offers a $1,000 challenge award to the first fund that surpasses 10 unique donors during Match Week.
Imagine that Fund X meets that challenge and, by the end of Match Week, has received 5% of community donations (which do not include challenge amounts). In that case, the organization that benefits from Fund X would have the option of taking or depositing in Fund X:
- 5% of CFSEK’s match pool ($100,000 * 5% = $5,000),
- 5% of the match sponsorships ($50,000 * 5% = $2,500),
- and the $1,000 challenge award.
Which funds are participating in Match Week?
We don’t know yet!
We will invite the organizations that benefit from our endowment funds to participate in Match Day starting in August, with responses due by the end of September. Until then, we won’t know precisely which funds are participating in Match Week. However, you can view a list of the funds that participated in Match Day 2024, most of which will likely participate in Match Week 2025, on SEKGives.org.
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
Call or email Joshua McCloud, Donor Relations & Community Outreach Coordinator.
Match Week Sponsorship Registration Form
- Want to sponsor Match Week without public recognition? Just let us know you’d like your sponsorship to be anonymous! ↩︎