The Galesburg Community Foundation said it will provide extra cash to non-profit groups in its service region if they meet a fundraising goal. Each group has until June 30, 2016 to raise $10,000. The Foundation will match that amount for each successful organization.
The Foundation announced on Thursday 20 organizations have been selected for the challenge, which it called its Nonprofit Endowment Match program. The Foundation also announced it will provide each group with $1,000 for marketing purposes to help them reach the goal.
One of the 20 groups is the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen, which provides free meals twice a month in Galesburg. Board member Mary Angela Maguire said the Foundation's gift would help keep the KPCK's office operating and help it focus on other goals.
“Our other fundraising efforts in the future, on just our meals, our garden, trying to bring food security to Galesburg,” Maguire said.
Maguire added the Kitchen would have to plan carefully about how to raise the money to get the matching gift.
“While we’re raising money for the endowment, we’re always raising money for our twice monthly meals. So it’s kind of a double effort, so we have to just be very careful and plan carefully,” Maguire said.
The Foundation originally planned to award the gifts to 10 organizations but decided on funding all when 20 applications were submitted.
