Instead of selecting one charity or fundraising event for their traditional year-end fundraising drive, they introduced something different: Match My Donation. “We had a meeting and discussed what we should do. Do we support our ten main charities, or twenty? Then I just thought, there’s a way we can do it all,” said Finch. Letting people support their own interests and follow their hearts was a gateway to helping the organizations that truly mattered to the people in their community.
The concept was straightforward. Beginning in September and continuing through December, the group would match personal donations dollar-for-dollar to local charities, causes, and non-profits, up to $50,000 each month. They didn’t choose the cause — the donor did, meaning anyone could ostensibly double their donation through Finch’s offer.