Marietta Community Foundation is thrilled to announce the success of the 2023 Annual Nonprofit Challenge, proudly sponsored by Superior Toyota Hyundai. In its eighth year, this year's challenge took the form of a Penny War, engaging 31 local nonprofits in a friendly competition that raised over $18,000 for the community.
Heather Allender, President & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation, expressed her excitement, saying, “Witnessing the community's overwhelming response to the Nonprofit Challenge has been truly inspiring. This year's Penny War not only exceeded our fundraising expectations but also showcased the incredible generosity and camaraderie within Washington County.”
The Penny War saw unprecedented participation, with 31 nonprofits vying for top prizes and raising additional grant funding through the Community Impact Fund. For the first time, the competition welcomed all nonprofits serving Washington County, attracting half of the participants as first-time entrants.
Some initial lighthearted speculation about a potential coin shortage turned into a reality as community members eagerly exchanged bills for coins, contributing to the friendly rivalry. We sincerely apologize to the community and local banks for any inconvenience this may have caused.
During the final week of the challenge, the community's enthusiasm reached new heights. On National Philanthropy Day, 160 neighbors visited the Foundation’s office to donate, and the online engagement reached even more supporters. So much change was deposited that two coin-counting machines were operated all day on Friday. Tallying points turned into a race against time as the coin-counting concluded at 4:58 p.m., just two minutes before the announcement scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Over $30,000 in prizes were initially set to be awarded, with winners announced during a Nonprofit Open House on November 17. However, the Foundation faced a fascinating challenge when qualified checks arrived on Monday, reshuffling the results.
Allender explained, “To ensure fairness, we decided to honor the award amounts announced and the updated results, selecting the higher amount. This decision led to the recognition of a 6th place winner, and a total of $36,500 will be distributed among the deserving organizations.”
Final Top Prize Winners:
Harmar Rowing Club - $10,000
Washington County Special Olympics - $7,000
Marietta Main Street - $7,000
BB2C: Building Bridges to Careers - $5,000
Washington County Agricultural & Mechanical Association (Washington County Fairgrounds) - $2,500
Washington County Foster Families - $2,500
In addition to these awards, five $500 auxiliary prizes were awarded.
First Friday Donor’s Choice - Historic Harmar Bridge Company
Superior’s Choice: Best Decorated Jug - BB2C: Building Bridges to Careers
Most Donors on National Philanthropy Day - Eve, Inc.
Most Bills Collected - Warren Local Band Boosters
Most Online Donations - Humane Society of the Ohio Valley
Harmar Rowing Club was especially thankful for their $10,000 prize. The funds will significantly help them grow their newly established fund, which will be used for operations, equipment, and facility needs.
“We are thankful to MCF and Superior Toyota for providing the fun Penny Wars Challenge,” said Sherry McKenzie, Treasurer. “Winning top prize enables us to contribute to our newly established Harmar Rowing Club Fund.”
Rachelle Sprouse, Local Coordinator/Head Coach for Washington County Special Olympics, was pleasantly shocked to learn her group would be receiving $7,000 instead of their anticipated $3,000.
“We want to try to give our athletes the best opportunity we can to succeed or strive toward a goal or dream,” said Sprouse. “This is a win-win situation where we can teach them that there are ways to give back to the community who supports us on a daily basis.”
Building Bridges to Careers finished the competition with a $5,000 top prize as well as the figurative crown of “Best Decorated Jug” for their Mario-themed display.
“We really wanted to showcase all our Makerspace's capabilities with our design,” said Jared Wittekind, Makerspace Director. “However, given the overall success of the competition, I would say that the strength of the Marietta community really stole the show.”
Marietta Community Foundation extends sincere thanks to Superior Toyota Hyundai, whose continued support has been instrumental in the success of the Nonprofit Challenge. Special thanks to Tommy Hathaway for selecting the winner of the “Best Decorated Jug” auxiliary prize and Bob Crock for allowing the Foundation to borrow a stunning red Toyota Tundra for the First Friday display.
A great deal of thanks to Peoples Bank on Second St. in Marietta for the sustained usage of their coin-counting machine, as well as to Settlers Bank for the last-minute, all-day use of their machine when significantly more change was received than expected.
The Foundation also expresses gratitude to Crystal Springs for generously donating the jugs used to collect donations, WMOA Radio for joining on First Friday for a live broadcast, and Stoked Coffee for providing beverages for First Friday and the Nonprofit Open House.
Additional thanks go to Marietta Main Street, Weston McAfee/CopperLine Welding & Machining, Jon Wentz, Connor Estes, Chris Rynd, Lorrie Saboley, and everyone who played a role in making this event a resounding success.
Heather Allender added, “This year's Nonprofit Challenge exemplified the spirit of unity and community that defines Marietta. We are grateful for the support of our sponsors, partners, and everyone who participated in making a positive impact on Washington County.”
Marietta Community Foundation is where generous families, businesses, and nonprofits come together to transform lives and strengthen Washington County, Ohio — turning good intentions into great accomplishments. The Foundation has distributed more than $27 Million to charities since its creation in 1974 and currently manages over 350 funds while meeting rigorous national standards in the community foundation sector.