The Greater Salina Community Foundation will once again host Salina’s annual Match Madness giving day on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

On this day, donations to any of the 74 participating charities will be matched up to 50%. The list of participating charities can be found online at www.matchmadnessgscf.org.

All donations made on March 19 will go to each charity’s endowed fund held at the Greater Salina Community Foundation. These funds are permanently invested to produce a steady stream of income charities can count on every year, which eases the pressure to raise annual funds.

Plus, every gift to a nonprofit’s endowed fund will be matched (proportionally, up to 50%) with a cash grant. This year, there are $150,000 in matching funds, thanks to the generosity of private donors. Matching funds will be available instantly to help organizations meet their immediate needs.

Donors can give in person from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Salina Fieldhouse, 140 N. 5th Street, or online at www.matchmadnessgscf.org from midnight to 11:59 p.m.

New to the Fieldhouse event this year is the BE Wealth Half Court Shot for Charity at 6 p.m. Over 60 nonprofit representatives will attempt to make a shot from half-court, and the winner will receive an extra $1,000 for their organization.

The event will also include:

• Bill Grevas Memorial Nonprofit Free Throw Contest, sponsored by Salina Regional Health Foundation, where nonprofit representatives will have one minute to shoot free throws for a chance to earn $100 in bonus cash for their organization. The contest will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with each round beginning at the top of every hour.
• Nonprofit booths, with over 50 participating organizations available to visit with donors.
• Food trucks, including Saddle Jack’s BBQ and Food by Bonnie, will begin serving at 11 a.m.
• NCAA basketball tournament games airing throughout the Fieldhouse.
• Complimentary refreshments.

Visit the Match Madness website to learn more about the 74 nonprofits participating in 2020 and view live donation updates on the day of the event.

Last year, 751 donors contributed a record-breaking total of $319,444 to 72 charities. Since the event’s inception in 2012, Match Madness donors have given close to $1.5 million in support of local charities, and the event’s total benefit to the community exceeds $2 million.