Monterey County Gives!

Gives! 2021 Raises $9.7 Million

Thanks to the generous people of Monterey County, the 2021 campaign raised $9.7 million to benefit more than 170 local nonprofits. Thanks to our major supports Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel, Gunde and Ernest Posey Family Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Colburn and Alana Jones Foundation at the CFMC, and the Cannery Row Company, as well as the many challenge gift donors, we had more than $2 million in matching funds and challenge gifts for Monterey County Gives!

Background

Monterey County Weekly and Philanthropy

Nonprofits are a cornerstone of our community. Whether you’ve attended local arts or music events, received legal support or health care services, adopted a pet, or enrolled your child in a special after school program, chances are high you’ve interfaced with a dozen or more groups. Without local nonprofits working tirelessly to fulfill their missions — everyday — our community would look and feel like a very different place.

Monterey County Weekly has had a direct relationship with the local nonprofit community for more than 25 years, supporting and promoting those who work to improve the quality of life for all. The Monterey County Weekly witnesses, reports, and collaborates with nonprofits to promote their events and programs, so they may communicate and carry out their mission.

In 2000, the Weekly supported the nonprofit community in another way when it established the Monterey County Weekly Community Fund, a donor advised fund of the CFMC. In 2009, Monterey County Gives! was launched, focused on an annual appeal to the Weekly’s generous readers for year-end donations. In that first year, $417,000 was raised and granted. The Weekly has built on that success each year, and with the Monterey Peninsula Foundation joining as a partner in 2015, the campaign has shown the power of philanthropy in Monterey County.

Program Details

A request for proposals appears each June in the Monterey County Weekly with a deadline in late July. Nonprofits begin to direct their donations through Monterey County Gives! in early November when the Weekly publishes its Monterey County Gives! special issue and the website goes live. After the campaign ends on December 31, participating nonprofits receive a prorated match (on the first $75,000 they raised) based on their total donations during the campaign. The nonprofits gain funding and new supporters to support their big ideas.

These grants made possible through the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

• $2,500 Ingenuity Grant: This grant is awarded to one nonprofit that demonstrates ingenuity and creativity through their approach in resolving their sector’s challenges.
• $1,000 Largest Number of Donors Award: This award will be given to the nonprofit that has the most donors.
• $1,000 Most Donors 18-35 Years Old: This award will be given to the nonprofit that receives the most donations from those who are 18-35 years old. It is meant to challenge younger readers and participating organizations to generate excitement around youth philanthropy, and for the next generation to experience the feelings of joy and reward that accompany acts of generosity. The goal is to jumpstart vital lifelong partnerships between younger donors and the local nonprofit community, with the hope that as their financial position grows so will their contributions and involvement.
• $1,000 The Florence Haspel Zeve Award for Women, Families and/or the Arts: Created in memory of Florence Zeve, the award will be given to one nonprofit for their initiative for women, families and/or the arts, a program that deserves special recognition.