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Give Ozarks this year raised nearly $1.4 million for more than 240 nonprofits. It’s on hold for 2018.
Graphic courtesy Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Give Ozarks this year raised nearly $1.4 million for more than 240 nonprofits. It’s on hold for 2018.

CFO presses pause on Give Ozarks

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After Give Ozarks this year raised a record $1.4 million, Community Foundation of the Ozarks is taking at least a year off from the fundraiser.

Louise Knauer, CFO’s communications and marketing senior vice president, said the organization made the decision in August and informed its corporate sponsors and nonprofit partners in September.

“We felt like if we were going to pause, it would be good to do it on a high note before we start feeling any sponsor fatigue or donor fatigue,” she said. “It’s a ton of work on our part and on agencies’ part. For us, it takes time away from other priorities that we have.”

Knauer said a decision for 2019 would be made this summer before CFO’s fiscal year ends June 30.

During the third-annual Give Ozarks on May 9, the 24-hour online crowdfunding campaign garnered donations for more than 240 nonprofits, also a record for the event. Give Ozarks utilizes Mostly Serious LLC’s crowdfunding portal, Cause Momentum, of which CFO is a partner.

In lieu of Give Ozarks, CFO is offering a February endowment match challenge and a more targeted crowdfunding campaign in April.

“For three years, we put $100,000 toward endowment matches to Give Ozarks Day,” CFO spokesman Matt Lemmon said, noting $60,000 of that sum would be used for the two programs in 2018.

The largest amount, $50,000, will be used for endowment matches for 10 nonprofits. The organizations will be awarded $5,000 grants if they raise $10,000 in February, according to CFOzarks.org.

In April, Lemmon said 20 nonprofits will be selected for a monthlong crowdfunding campaign through Cause Momentum. Knauer said the event would allow interested nonprofits to delve deeper into crowdfunding than on just one day for Give Ozarks.

Mostly Serious also is working on a redesign and improvements to Cause Momentum that should be released early next year, Lemmon said.

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