Centre Gives Raises Record Total for Local Nonprofits

For the 10th consecutive year, the Centre County community came through with another record-setting effort in support of local nonprofits.

Centre Gives, Centre Foundation’s annual 36-hour online giving event, raised $2,238,995 through 16,624 donations to more than 190 nonprofit organizations between 9 a.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The total eclipses the $2,179,143 raised last year. A record total has been set each year since Centre Gives’ inception in 2012 and during that time the event has raised more than $12.5 million for nonprofits working in the areas of arts, animals, education, environment, health and social services and more.

“We couldn’t imagine any better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Centre Gives than by continuing our streak and breaking all previous records,” Centre Foundation executive director Molly Kunkel said in a statement. “The organizations who benefit from Centre Gives have had a long and difficult year, dealing with continued pandemic-related repercussions. We are so proud of our supportive community for stepping up and providing them with such a hopeful outcome.”

Gifts during Centre Gives are boosted by a $300,000 stretch pool provided by Centre Foundation and the Hamer Foundation, as well as $40,000 in prizes.

Prizes of $1,000 were awarded to the top five large and small organizations with the most unique donors.

Large organization prize winners:

Centre County PAWS
Centre Volunteers in Medicine
Schlow Library Foundation
State College Food Bank
Pets Come First

Small organization prize winners:

Centre Wildlife Care
Out of the Cold: Centre County
Park Forest Preschool
Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania
The Hundred Cat Foundation

$500 Power Hour Prizes (most donors in a given hour)

Large organizations

Schlow Library Foundation
Strawberry Fields, Inc
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
Centre Volunteers in Medicine
Centre County PAWS
State College Friends School
Pets Come First
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Easterseals Child Development Center
ClearWater Conservancy
3 Dots Downtown

Small organizations:

TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania
Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club
Park Forest Preschool
State College Area Roller Derby
Centre Wildlife Care
Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania
Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County
The Hundred Cat Foundation
Bridge of Hope of Centre County
Centre Social Dance

$250 Countdown to #CentreGives prizes (randomly award to organizations that participated in pre-event Facebook challenges)

Pets Come First
Boalsburg Heritage Museum
Centre County Library & Historical Museum
Pixie Dust Wishes

$250 First Gift prize (first donation received during Centre Gives 2021):

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy

$500 Endowment Partners prize:

Mid-State Literacy Council
State College Food Bank
Centre County Housing & Land Trust
Grace Lutheran Preschool and Kindergarten

$250 New Participant prize (one organization participating in Centre Gives was selected randomly):

Soroptimist International of Centre County

$250 10-Year Pro winner (one organization that has participated in every Centre Gives was selected randomly):

Centre Volunteers in Medicine

$250 40th Anniversary prize (the organization receiving the 1,981st, in recognition of Centre Foundation’s 40th anniversary):

State College SDA Diaper Bank

$250 Million Maker prize (the organization which received the donation pushing Centre Gives past the $1 million mark):

Hands on Therapeutic Riding Program

In honor of Centre Gives’ 10 year anniversary, the organization that received the donation closest to 20:12 (8:12 PM) on May 11 was selected to win a $250 prize.

$250 10 Years of Centre Gives prize (organization that received the donation closest to 20:12 (8:12 p.m.) on May 11):

Centre Helps

$100 Magic Minute prizes (first 20 organizations that received a gift during the exact minute of 3:33 p.m.):

State College Food Bank
Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania
Tudek Park
Mount Nittany Conservancy
State College Area Roller Derby
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County
Acres Project
SCASD Education Foundation
Appalachian Food Works
Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund
Downtown Bellefonte, Inc
Central PA 4th Fest
The Arc of Centre County
Pixie Dust Wishes
Ten Thousand Villages
Mach One Slalom Team
Centre Volunteers in Medicine
Nittany Performing Arts Centre
Schlow Library Foundation
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts

Lucky Ticket prizes (two large and two small organizations selected at random):

A Soldier’s Hands
Wildlife for Everyone Foundation
Skills Foundation
Centre Region Parks and Rec

$250 Regional Lucky Ticket prizes (one organization each from Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Philipsburg, and State College regions selected at random:

Bald Eagle: The Crooked House
Bellefonte: Downtown Bellefonte, Inc.
Penns Valley: The HOPE Fund of Penns Valley
Philipsburg: Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation
State College: The Community Cafe at St. Andrew’s