Get Ready for Match Day 2020!

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas invites you to participate in its fifth annual Match Day on December 1, 2020, National Giving Tuesday! CFSEK has set aside $40,000 to match community gifts to the endowment funds of 25 local nonprofit organizations. Each participating fund will receive a prorated match out of the match funds based on total donations received, up to 20% of the total match amount.

By participating in Match Day 2020, you will help support the participating organizations and the Southeast Kansas communities they serve for years to come. Keep reading to learn more about this wonderful opportunity!

Match Day basics

Since 2016, the Community Foundation has hosted Match Day every year on National Giving Tuesday, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Match Day is an exciting fundraising opportunity that gives participating nonprofits the change to grow their endowed funds held with CFSEK. All Match Day donations and match amounts are placed in the nonprofits’ CFSEK endowed funds. Endowed funds are invested to produce present and future income for distributions that can be used for our partners’ operating expenses, programming, and special projects.

Through 2019, Match Day has raised more than $550,000 in total funds for CFSEK’s nonprofit partners. Community support for Match Day has always been phenomenal, and with more partner organizations this year than any before, we look forward to that trend continuing in 2020!

Calculating match amounts

Each participating nonprofit’s endowed fund is entitled to 100% of the donations made to that fund, plus a prorated match out of the $40,000 match pool. That is, each fund will receive a portion of the $40,000 match pool that is proportionate to the fund’s share of community donations on Match Day–subject to a 20% limit.

Participating organizations

A record 25 organizations will be participating in Match Day 2020:

  • Angels Among Us is an organization of volunteers who raise funds to provide for the area’s cancer patients, helping them with outstanding financial needs such as rent, utilities, and medicine.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters creates and supports one-on-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
  • Big Brutus memorializes the mining heritage of Southeast Kansas by creating environments that education, provid recollections, and celebrations.
  • Chicopee Foundation supports the maintenance, repair, and upkeep of the Chicopee Community Center for civic and social activities.
  • Family Resource Center provides children from birth to 12 years old with a safe and caring atmosphere that promotes physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
  • Food Security Fund supports the Wesley House Food Bank in Pittsburg.
  • Friends of the SEK Symphony supports the activities of the Southeast Kansas Symphony.
  • Frontenac Education Foundation supports scholarships for Frontenac High School seniors and supplies library books, computers, and other educational materials and equipment for Frontenac students and teachers.
  • Healthcare Access for All benefits patients of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas by providing access to healthcare services to the uninsured and underserved population in our area.
  • Homer Cole Community Center provides facilities and programs to enhance the welfare of the population of Pittsburg, Kansas; to share information; and to offer various social, educational, and cultural activities.
  • Miners Hall Museum Foundation is dedicated to preserving and sharing Southeast Kansas coal-mining history and its diverse immigrant culture.
  • Mount Carmel Foundation secures and extends financial resources to the operation, maintenannce, facilities, and services of Ascension Via Christi Pittsburg and contributes to healthcare and maintenance of the people of Southeast Kansas and the surrounding region.
  • Northeast USD #246 Education Foundation works to enhance the education of USD 246 youth.
  • Pittsburg Family YMCA (Youth & Membership Programs): The Pittsburg YMCA Jack Bache Fund for Scholarships is an endowed fund that provides scholarship assistance for YMCA memberships and youth programs, promoting healthy activity and enrichment opportunities.
  • Pittsburg Public Library provides free access to ideas, materials, and services that support the cultural, educational, and recreational enrichment of the community.
  • PSU Foundation facilitates philanthropy for the university’s teaching, research, and service/civic-engagement functions.
  • Safehouse Crisis Center provides services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
  • SEK Humane Society rescues homeless and endangered pets in our area. Its mission is to eliminate animal suffering, promote the importance of the human-animal bond, educate individuals regarding pet responsibility and respect, and aim toward reducing pet overpopulation through an aggressive spay/neuter program.
  • SEK Interlocal #637 provides special-education and related services to students enrolled in 13 Southeast Kansas school districts.
  • SEK Women Helping Women: A Fairy Godmother’s Fund offers financial assistance with grants of up to $500 to help women in our area with one-time needs that cannot be met by existing agencies.
  • St. Mary’s Colgan Catholic Schools, a ministry of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, assists parents in teaching the Catholic faith in an environment that challenges students academically, expects high standards of Christian behavior and stewardship, and cultivates the development of the whole person.
  • The Lord’s Diner serves an evening meal 365 days a year. A small paid staff, assisted by more than 800 volunteers representing many faiths and denominations, prepare and serve a hot, nutritious meal in a spirit of compassion, respect, and loving service.
  • The Salvation Army (Senior Programs) Endowed Fund supports the Salvation Army of Pittsburg‘s Senior Programming Services provided to Crawford County residents over the age of 55.
  • United Way of SWMO & SEK fights for the education, health, and financial stabilities of every person in every community. United Way mobilizes the caring power of communities to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens.
  • USD 250 Educational Foundation promotes excellence of educational opportunities for all students through enhancement of school facilities, services, and programs.

How you can help

You can help us spread the word about Match Day on social media or donate on Match Day by:

  • Delivering your donation to our office on or before December 1. You can leave your contribution, along with a completed Match Day Donation Form (downloads PDF), in the drop box outside our office in the basement of the Commerce Bank building in Pittsburg, 100 S. Broadway St., Ste. 100.
  • Donate online on December 1. The week of Match Day, we will update our Donate Today page to highlight our Match Day partners. Select one of the Match Day organizations in the dropdown list and click the “Donate” button under “Option 2.” Then, you’ll be taken to PayPal’s website to complete your transaction.
  • Mail a check with a postmark of no later than December 2. You can mail your check to us at P.O. Box 1448, Pittsburg, KS 66762. Be sure to include a completed Match Day Donation Form (downloads PDF) so we can know which organizations you’d like your donation to benefit.

Please make checks payable to the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas. If you aren’t using a donation form with your check, please write the organization name(s) in the memo line.

How to learn more

You can call us at (620) 231-8897, email us, or message us on Facebook to learn more.