Centre Foundation is Opening a Nonprofit Assistance Fund and Enhancing the Centre Gives Program to Better Support Nonprofits Amid the Global Pandemic.

CENTRE COUNTY, PA — Centre Foundation is boosting support to local nonprofits with the establishment of the Centre Foundation COVID-19 ACTION (Activating Contributions to Invest in Operations of Nonprofits) Fund as well as expanding Centre Gives, the annual 36-hour online fundraiser. 

The Centre Foundation COVID-19 ACTION Fund will open with a balance of $375,000, which is earmarked to provide operational and programmatic support to local nonprofits amid the pandemic.

The fund was seeded with $125,000 from the Centre Foundation Community Impact Fund. Knight Foundation has pledged a further $250,000, allocated from their donor advised fund, understanding that the pandemic is presenting the nonprofit community with significant hardship.

“We understand that many nonprofits are losing income due to the cancellation of events, programming, and fundraisers. We’re creating this fund to help them through this difficult time and the Knight Foundation is generously supporting our efforts. We’re currently collecting information from local organizations and nonprofits to ensure we make the distribution process as easy as possible and meet the greatest needs,” Molly Kunkel, Centre Foundation Executive Director said.

Details on the distribution of the funds will be forthcoming in the following weeks.

In further recognition of the significant hardships area nonprofits are facing, Centre Foundation is expanding Centre Gives and rallying the community by:

  • Holding the online fundraiser as scheduled on May 12 and 13
  • Lowering the minimum gift amount from $25 to $10
  • Providing an additional $100,000 “Bonus” Stretch Pool
  • Increasing the available prize pool from $27,000 to $40,000
  • Reducing nonprofit participation fees

“This year, more than ever, local nonprofits are faced with extreme uncertainty, so we want to help as much as we can. An online fundraiser like Centre Gives allows the public to support their community, while observing our state’s stay-at-home orders and practicing social distancing. We’re providing additional funding to make the biggest impact we can, and lowering the minimum gift amount to make it easier for everyone in the community to participate. Our community is always so generous during Centre Gives and during this time especially, we know many people are looking for ways to help. We want to make it easy for the community to join together and provide support to our great local nonprofits,” said Kunkel.

By lowering the minimum gift amount to $10, Centre Foundation hopes to make Centre Gives more accessible for all who want to participate. Those who are not able to contribute are still invited to participate by promoting their favorite nonprofits using social media.

Another granting program, Centre Inspires, will be redirected this year to create the needed immediate support.  The 2020 Centre Inspires grant will be reallocated to provide the additional $100,000 Bonus Stretch Pool on top of the $200,000 already committed by The Hamer Foundation and Centre Foundation. The stretch pools enable gifts to go further during Centre Gives. The more money an organization raises, the greater the portion of the stretch pools that organization will receive.

“Each year, when considering applications for Centre Inspires, we think about what projects inspire us and will provide transformational change within our community. This year, we couldn’t think of anything more inspirational or transformative than expanding our support of the hundreds of organizations doing incredible work every day, despite the challenges that this year has brought,” said Kunkel.

Since 2012, more than $8.2 million has been invested into the local nonprofit network through Centre Gives. Community members have supported nonprofits working in areas of the arts, animals, education, environment, and health & social services.

Centre Gives 2020 will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12 and conclude at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Gifts can be made at CentreGives.org.

Further information about the Centre Foundation COVID-19 ACTION Fund, will be forthcoming. Anyone interested in supporting the fund can make a gift here: https://centre-foundation.orgfunds/centre-foundation-covid-19-action-fund/

For more information about Centre Gives, please visit CentreGives.org, email centregives@centre-foundation.org, or leave a message at (814) 237-6229.