Cattaraugus Gives, the Cattaraugus region’s day of giving, led by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, will return this year on Dec. 3 to continue its growth in raising funds and awareness for nonprofits and charitable causes in the region.
Cattaraugus Gives is a 24-hour online fundraising blitz, bringing together nonprofits from all over the region in friendly fundraising competition, with the overall goal of creating a more compassionate, giving community.
In 2018, 47 nonprofit organizations together raised just short of $32,000 to benefit programs and projects in Cattaraugus County during Cattaraugus Gives. CRCF also offered $5,000 in monetary incentives to participating organizations.
This year, the community foundation hopes to facilitate significant growth for the Cattaraugus Gives program, said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit.
“We have been very pleased with the outcome of Cattaraugus Gives in its first two years,” said Buchheit, “But we believe this has the potential to be something far greater this year, and that is why we have invested so much in the program.”
The Cattaraugus Gives program will be held as a stand-alone giving day this year, led and organized solely by CRCF, rather than as part of the NYGivesDay program as in past years as the NYGIVES program will not take place this year.
As part of this change, the Foundation plans to provide a far more extensive prize package for participating organizations, Buchheit said. Such as prizes for most donors overall, most donors during specific time periods, “golden ticket” random drawings for any organization that receives a gift during a time period and more.
CRCF is currently seeking sponsorships from business in the community to provide more prize opportunities. Businesses interested in sponsoring a prize can contact the Foundation at [email protected] or 716-301-2723.
The Cattaraugus Gives program also has a brand new logo as well as a new website, 
cattaraugusgives.org.
“We feel that is time, especially as we think about our 25th anniversary year, that we make Cattaraugus Gives into an even bigger event,” said Buchheit. “Sponsorships will be a huge part of that as we encourage more groups to participate and invest more time and effort in the program. This Foundation has always been forward-thinking, and we want Cattaraugus Gives to be at the center of not just our growth, but of the entire community’s growth.”
Registration will open Sept. 16 at cattaraugusgives.org. The program’s first free training webinar will take place Sept. 27. The Foundation will hold a viewing of the webinar followed by an open question session beginning at noon that day in the Olean Business Development building’s third-floor Sr. Margaret Carney training room Lunch will be provided at the training site for those who register in advance.
Anyone nonprofit representative interested in attending the webinar session should contact Kirk Windus, CRCF communications and fund development manager, at [email protected].
“We hope the community will continue to embrace the Cattaraugus Gives program and help it make even more of an impact this year,” said Buchheit. “Our community nonprofits work so hard all year to make the community a better place, and this is the perfect opportunity for the community to give back to them.
“After all, we all win when Cattaraugus gives,” Buchheit concluded.
To learn more about how to support Cattaraugus Gives, visit cattaraugusgives.org.
For 25 years, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation has been the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
