The Wamego Community Foundation Match Day Event has been designated by the Board of Directors of the Foundation as a time for “Community Pride and Inspiration in Giving” in the Wamego Community.
The Wamego Match Day Event provides a unique opportunity for the entire Wamego community to participate and to support local nonprofit organizations and various charitable funds and causes. Individuals and entities that make gifts on this day to these participating nonprofit and other charitable causes and organizations will have the opportunity to make a larger and more significant impact through their giving as the result of the availability of matching funds. These matching funds will be added to donations received by participants from the general public as more fully described in this website. Donations made by the community at large and matching funds gifted during this Match Day period to various nonprofit and charitable organizations will go directly into funds these organizations have established with the Wamego Foundation.
These matching funds have been made possible by the generosity of various Benefactors through their contributions of the matching funds to be used for this event.
Here is how the Match Day Event will work:
- The Match Day is being held as both a live and online event. This Match Day website will be online and live for donations beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, October 5, 2023, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on this date. As an accommodation to those who need to make donations by check prior to October 5, or who plan to make donations in the form of gifts of stock, the Foundation will accept such checks or such gifts of stock beginning September 28. The Foundation is using this extended giving period to accommodate and assist both donors and participating nonprofit and charitable entities with the Match Day gifting process.
- Combined donations from the public at large up to a total of $10,000 for each organization can be matched at 50%. Consequently, this structure has the potential to provide a maximum of $5,000 in matching funds for each participating organization that receives a total of $10,000 or more in donations that are made by members of the public at large.
- Individual contributions ranging from $25 to $5,000 per organization will generate a local match equal to approximately $.50 for each $1 donated by individuals and entities from the community at large during this Match Day event. For example, a participant organization receiving a $3,000 gift would be entitled to receive an additional $1,500 in matching funds made available by the Foundation. If a donor from the community gives a $5,000 gift which is split evenly among five unrelated organizations, then each organization receiving $1000 would be eligible to receive an additional $500 in matching funds.
- Gifts made by community donors will go into each participating organization’s fund with the Wamego Community Foundation. In addition, the match money earned by each non-profit or other charitable organization is an outright grant and may be used as each organization chooses and directs. Some may choose to add the amount of their grants and gifts to an endowment or they may choose to use all or a portion of gifted funds received as may be needed for payment of day-to-day operating expenses.
Donation payment alternatives for making donations:
The Foundation has adopted the following payment alternatives in order to accommodate and assist both donors and participating nonprofit and charitable entities in making and receiving donations, respectively. These alternatives include:
- Payments by checks made out, postmarked and mailed to WCF along with the required completed donation forms enclosed with these checks. Donation forms are available on this website and are to be printed and completed by all donors making Match Day gifts by check
- Deposit of envelopes containing checks made out to WCF accompanied by completed donation forms which are deposited in the mail slot in the red door situated to the left and adjacent to the glass door and entrance which is located at the front of Iron Clad at 427 Lincoln Avenue. These payments and deposits may be made either before or on Match Day;
- Donation checks deposited and delivered at the outdoor drive-thru drop-off area which will be provided and available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Match Day and which will be located in the ally at the rear of Iron Clad. Such donations must also include a donation form completed by each donor using this drop-off alternative.
- Credit card donations made online at www.wamegomatchday.com from 12:01 am to 11:59 pm on Match Day, October 5, and which will include a completed donation form to also be submitted with and as required for each online donation.
- In-person payments may be made from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on October 5, 2023, at Iron Clad in downtown Wamego at 427 Lincoln Avenue—which is the designated venue for the live component of this event.
When donating by check, only one check should be written for the total amount due from an individual or entity, whether it be for a single donation or for multiple donations made by a single individual or entity to multiple organizations. Each check shall be made payable to the Wamego Community Foundation (WCF). A separate distribution donation form is to be completed and used to designate which organization fund or funds are to benefit from those donations which are indicated on this form.
During the live component for this Match Day event which is scheduled to be held on October 5, Board members, staff, and volunteers, as well as representatives of various participant organizations, will be available at Iron Clad to assist those with questions and those who request guidance in completing and depositing their donations and required forms.
Throughout the Match Day event, one participating organization will be randomly chosen by a drawing held every hour to win an extra $50. The winners will be announced on Facebook and will also be listed on this Match Day website.
Building endowments is one of the primary goals of each Match Day, and is critical for the present and future support of non-profit and other charitable organizations who participate in this Wamego Match Day event. However, each of these organizations also have ongoing monthly operating expenses, and as a consequence, each are also in need of contributions to their annual operating expense campaigns.
Wamego Match Day provides an opportunity to contribute to both their current support as well as to grow their endowments and to enrich their charitable causes and programs to provide for even greater impact for years to come.
