By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Heartland Community Foundation is in the midst of its 2024 Match Month fundraising campaign.
During the month of February, all donations to the foundation's County Legacy Funds will be matched 300 percent. Heartland serves Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties.
The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, is providing a match of $2 for every $1 donated. The Patterson Family Foundation, Kansas City, is contributing $1 for every $1 donation.
The matches can be stacked, so a $100 donation becomes $400.
Every dollar raised remains in the community where it is given, said Sara Meitner, Heartland Community Foundation executive director.
"They are our unrestricted funds that we use to make grants to a wide variety of organizations for their charitable projects," she said.
"The granting committees in all three counties try really hard to find diversified recipients. They look at what's been given to community development, to our seniors, to art, culture and history, to food scarcity, to other things that are also important," Meitner said. "They're asking these questions and trying to be very concerted with how those grant dollars are spent so that it is benefiting everybody."
This year's goal is to raise $70,000 in each of the three counties served by Heartland Community Foundation.
Last year's Match Month campaign raised a total of $513,773.
"This is a way to make a lasting difference in your community," Meitner said.
Donations may be given online at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org, or dropped off at the foundation office at 1200 Main, Suite 102, in Hays, between Feb. 1 and 29.
Donors who give to the campaign on or before Feb. 15 will be entered to win $500 in a drawing. Donations of $500 or more will receive an extra entry in the drawing. The prize dollars were provided by a donor.