(12/13) At last month’s Adams County Community Foundation Giving Spree, 2,465 local residents donated $3.08 million dollars to support 94 county nonprofit organizations—giving that set a national record for per capita donations!
Locally, the Fairfield Alumni Scholarship Fund received $1,735 and Strawberry Hill Foundation, which runs the Strawberry Hill Nature Center, received $17,920, and the Adams County Land Conservancy which received $147,278.
Fairfield Alumni Association Treasurer and Class of 1961 Nancy Wenschhof credited many of this year’s generous funds as made in memorial of the Association’s former Vice President David Metz, who passed away in December 2020. Metz was also the former Chairman of the Fairfield Borough Planning Committee and a member of the Fairfield Pippinfest Committee.
Metz established a name for himself as a dedicated member of the Association. "He was doing it longer than I’ve been involved, and I’ve been doing this 12 years," she said.
Through the Adams County Community Foundation, for the first year the Alumni Association is now able to provide a $1,000 scholarship for a student’s higher education, whether university or technical school. Before collaborating with the Community Foundation, Fairfield Alumni Association Scholarships were $500, she said. Wenschhof credited the community’s strong support and the Community Foundation for making the scholarship possible.
Strawberry Hill aims to utilize the funding toward overall organization support toward its animal upkeep and education programs, as well as maintaining the beautification of the campus, according to Executive Director Dan Brannan. Brannan was grateful for the community’s support year after year, "It’s great to participate," he said.
The Adams County Land Conservancy was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Giving Spree. According to the Conservancy, over the past five years the Conservancy has preserved approximately 295 more acres of rural land in Adams County, solely from Giving Spree contributions.
The Conservancy also received nearly $8,000 in donations to its Forever Funds, which will be used grow their endowment and ensure that they will be in the financial position to monitor and defend the conservation easements that protect this land well into the future.
The Land Conservancy board said they where deeply humbled by the donations that would allow continue their "work of preserving our community’s rural character."
Thanks to sponsors, nonprofits pay nothing to participate in the annual spree, and 100 percent of donor gifts support the nonprofits of their choice. As an incentive to donors, a "Stretch Pool" is distributed to the participating nonprofits in proportion to the amount raised during the Giving Spree.
Sponsors allowed the Foundation to "Blanket Adams County with yard signs and pack every mailbox with donation forms," Adams County Community Foundation President Ralph Serpe said.
The Foundation has discovered approximately 20 percent of donors provide endowments, which is essential to keeping the campaign ball rolling for the future, he said.
Serpe marveled that "Each of the top 15 organizations raised more individually than we raised 8 years ago at the giving spree in total." "We are home to the largest per capita giving day in the country," he said.
"On behalf of the Community Foundation, our Giving Spree committee, our board, our staff, and especially the donors, thank you," Serpe said.
