Every donation makes a bigger impact on Give to Lincoln Day because nonprofits also get a proportional share of a $500,000 match fund made possible by LCF and generous sponsors.
The purpose of Give to Lincoln Day is to promote philanthropy in Lincoln and Lancaster County. There are three primary goals:
1. Introduce new donors to local nonprofit organizations.
2. Help Lincoln nonprofit organizations tell their stories and educate Lincoln about the positive impact they have on our lives.
3. Shine a community spotlight on this day of charitable giving to raise a substantial amount of new money to assist the local nonprofit network.
Give to Lincoln Day is intended to be a bonus fundraising opportunity for local nonprofits in our community.
Prizes
West Gate Bank's Small but Mighty Prizes: Four drawings will be held during the 24-hour period on May 25th. At the designated hours of 9:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm and 6:00pm, Lincoln Community Foundation will draw from the 50 nonprofits at the bottom of the leaderboard. The winning nonprofits will each receive $500 and extra social media promotion.
Making a Donation
All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Nonprofit organizations will receive their donations (less a 2.9% fee), proportional share of the match fund and a list of offline donors approximately one month after the event.
There are four ways to make a gift for Give to Lincoln Day:
1. Online -- Please strongly consider this option in 2021
Donations to participating charities are made online and will be updated in real time on the leader board at http://www.givetolincoln.com on May 25. Online donations may be made beginning May 1. Gifts made between May 1 and May 25 will count toward the event, show on the leaderboard when the giving day begins on May 25, and be eligible for the challenge match fund. LCF staff can accept an online gift over the phone between May 1-May 25. Call 402-474-2345 to make your gift with a credit card over the phone.
2. Offline (Checks)
Donations may also be made via check and mailed to the address below. Gifts must be postmarked by May 18 to count toward the event, show on the leaderboard, and be eligible for the challenge match fund.
Lincoln Community Foundation
215 Centennial Mall S Ste 100
Lincoln, NE 68508
Checks must be written to “Lincoln Community Foundation” with the nonprofit name specified in the memo line (if you are donating to multiple nonprofits, write one check for the total and include a separate list of nonprofits and amounts to each). LCF will charge the same 2.9% fee as Firespring Foundation charges for online gifts. Fees received from offline gifts are directed to grants for local nonprofits.
Donors may also drop off donations between May 1 and May 25 at Presenting Sponsor, West Gate Bank's Lincoln branches via the lobby or the commercial drop drawers. Visit https://westgate.bank/locations for lobby hours.
3. Lincoln Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund
Those who have a donor advised fund administered by Lincoln Community Foundation may recommend grants from their fund to participating nonprofits (no fee is assessed on donor advised fund grants). When using a donor advised fund, there is a minimum $100 grant per nonprofit. Grant recommendations can be submitted through the My LCF Login at http://www.lcf.org, and are encouraged to be made before May 18.
4. Individual Retirement Account – Qualified Charitable Distribution Gifts
Donors who are 70½ or older may make qualified charitable distributions from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to charities participating in Give to Lincoln Day. For more information on this giving method, click here.
IRA owners must complete the IRA Give to Lincoln Day Distributions Form found on the Toolkit page and submit it to the Lincoln Community Foundation by May 10, 2021 by mail (address in Offline section) or email to rhondap@lcf.org. The IRA owner must also contact their IRA administrator and initiate the gift to the Lincoln Community Foundation by May 18 in order for the gift to be included as part of Give to Lincoln Day. Gifts from IRAs will be subject to the 2.9% fee assessed on other offline gifts.
For more information, visit https://www.givetolincoln.com