Special to the
Opelika Observer
The Community Foundation of East Alabama recently hosted its 2nd Annual Opelika Giving Day on June 3, bringing in a total of $39,430.09 through 348 individual donations. Twelve non-profits throughout Opelika were selected to be highlighted during Opelika Giving Day 2020, and they were all tasked with campaigning and raising awareness on social media.
Todd Rauch the vice president of the Community Foundation of East Alabama, said, “the role of the Community Foundation leading up to Opelika Giving Day was multifaceted. We wanted to give each organization the tools and recommendations they needed to succeed in reaching their goal, as well as teaching them useful practices they could implement on social media to continue engaging with their donors after Opelika Giving Day concluded.” Rauch explained that he hosted Zoom video teleconference meetings with all the organizations and provided them with step-by-step methods on how to schedule posts through Facebook, as well as how to use Facebook’s advertising platform.
With the goal of succeeding despite the turmoil currently impacting our nation, the Opelika Giving Day website was launched one week early, allowing people more time to become aware, spread the word and give. Before the official kickoff on June 3rd, 86 individuals had already contributed, which gave the Community Foundation just over $12,000 to kickstart the day. One of those early donors was the Opelika City Council. “I can’t say thank you enough to Mayor Fuller and the Opelika City Council,” Rauch said, “this year the Opelika City Council continued their support of Opelika Giving Day and collectively donated $100 to each of the non-profits we highlighted.”
Three organizations exceeded their goals this year;
• Creekline Trails of Opelika raised $11,700, with a goal of $10,000
• O-Grows raised $2,555, with a goal of $2,500, and
• The Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee, a newcomer to Opelika Giving Day, raised $1,165, with a goal of $1,000.
In addition:
• The Arts Association of East Alabama raised $5,739
• Flags for Vets raised $4,140
• Circles of Opelika raised $4,105
• The Community Foundation of East Alabama raised $2,825
• Haddie’s raised $2,575
• The Knee High Foundation raised $1,566
• Friends of the Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park raised $1,305
• L.E.A.P.S. Mentoring raised $1,045 and
• Opelika Main Street raised $700.
“I want to personally thank all of the organizations for their hard work leading up to Opelika Giving Day,” Rauch said, “but most importantly I want to thank everyone that took time out of their day to donate and spread the message of Opelika Giving Day.” If you missed your opportunity to donate this year during Opelika Giving Day, the next Opelika Giving Day is planned for the first week of May 2021.
For more information visit www.opelikagivingday.org or email at info@opelikagivingday.org.
About the Community Foundation of East Alabama
The Community Foundation of East Alabama was incorporated in 2007 as a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization. As a local center for philanthropy, the Community Foundation works with individuals, families, corporations, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations to help them carry out their charitable objectives and address emerging community issues. Donors to the Community Foundation also benefit from the Foundation’s combined assets which greatly reduce investment and administrative fees. The five-county region includes Lee, Chambers, Macon, Russell, and Tallapoosa Counties.
The Community Foundation is administered by a governing body of East Alabama citizens committed to building a vibrant community foundation. Through the generosity of people in East Alabama, the community foundation will continue to grow. Through grant making, they look forward to a brighter future by giving back to the place they call home.
Visit www.cfeastalabama.org for additional information.