Charities on a Level Playing Field

Non-profit and charitable organizations are finding it more difficult than ever in these challenging times to raise funds so they can provide badly-needed services.

The picture is not a pretty one. Greater demand but fewer resources so the onus gets put on the charity to find ways to fundraise on their own.  There are the usual staples from golf tournaments to raffles but many of the old methods don’t work like they used do.

With that said let me introduce you to OceanFirst Foundation’s Charity Challenge. 69 local charities have answered the bell and taken up the challenge in this program which runs through CrowdRise, an innovative online site that helps charities raise money and awareness.

Over the next four weeks the charities will be seeking donations as part of the challenge in which they keep all the money they raise.  Not only that but OceanFirst Foundation is going to award special grants to the top 3 finishers in money raised with $10,000 going to the winning organization, $3,000 to second place and $2,000 to the one that finishes third.  In addition there will be bonus challenges along the way in which the non-profits and charities can win  extra $500 grants and other special perks, among them on air and on line exposure from our radio stations.

The OceanFirst Charity Challenge officially launched this week and runs through May 9^th and all the details are available at crowdrise.com/oceanfirstcharitychallenge.  There you will find the 69 charities and their stories, some of whom you are familiar with and others who you might never have heard of. However they are all playing on the same field here and many have been reaching out to the community seeking support as they compete for the extra $15,000 available thanks to the generosity of the OceanFirst Foundation.

In just three days already more than $20,000  has been raised to help these organizations continue to do the great work they do.  Now more than ever they need us. let’s give them a helping hand.