Nonprofit News: November 2025 | |
Now Accepting Applications for Animal Welfare Grants
The deadline to apply is Sunday, Dec. 14.
Our new Animal Welfare grant cycle has begun! The program focuses on supporting organizations in the animal welfare sector in the following ways:
- Funding emergency veterinary treatments for urgent cases or extraordinary medical needs
- Supporting the purchase of large equipment, such as X-ray machines
Applications are due by midnight on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.
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Questions About the Grant-Making Process? Join Us for Office Hours!
In order to more quickly answer common questions about grant applications, our Community Impact department holds regular weekly Zoom sessions that anyone can drop in on. Sessions take place from 11 a.m. to noon every Friday. This is an excellent opportunity to get direct, immediate feedback from Community Foundation staff about grants and applications. There's no need to pre-register. Just click the link below to join.
Please note: Due to upcoming holidays, there will be no Office Hours on Friday, Nov. 28, or Friday, Dec. 26.
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How to Get Your Nonprofit Ready to Participate in the 2026 Giving Challenge | |
Step #1: Make Sure Your Giving Partner Profile Is Updated
Nonprofits that want to participate in next year's Giving Challenge must first ensure that their Giving Partner profile is current.
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A key requirement to participate in the 2026 Giving Challenge is for nonprofits to have a complete, accurate, and updated profile in The Giving Partner. Nonprofits with an existing Giving Partner profile must ensure that all updates are made by noon on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
If you're not sure what that entails, this handy checklist includes all the details and documentation you will need to update your profile. Don't let your nonprofit miss out on the chance to participate in next year's challenge!
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Step #2: Register for the Giving Challenge
After your Giving Partner profile is set, don't forget to officially sign up for the 2026 Giving Challenge.
In addition to updating your Giving Partner profile, you must also officially register with the Giving Challenge at GivingChallenge.org. The deadline to register is noon on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
Note: This deadline is significantly earlier than for past Giving Challenges. If your registration is not complete by the deadline, you will not be eligible to participate in the 2026 Giving Challenge.
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Missed a Giving Challenge Training? Recordings Are Available!
All past training webinars can be viewed at any time.
We recently hosted "Set Your Organization up for Giving Challenge Success," an online training session for nonprofits looking to jump-start planning for their 2026 Giving Challenge campaigns. Led by Josephine Eisenberg and Sara Leonard, MBA, CFRE, two consultants with The Patterson Foundation as part of its Fueling Dynamic Fundraising initiative, the session helped participants set realistic fundraising goals, determine the central focus of their campaigns, identify the right prize opportunities, recruit strong support teams, and align Giving Challenge activities with their broader fundraising efforts.
If you missed it, we strongly suggest watching our recording of it as you and your nonprofit begin planning your campaign for next year's challenge. You can also view the slideshow that accompanied the training here.
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Upcoming Training Session: Giving Challenge Communication Planning
Our next online training takes place in January.
Strong campaigns start with strong communications. This practical session will help your organization craft clear, compelling messages to use before, during, and after the 2026 Giving Challenge. Learn how to create a streamlined communications plan, tailor your messages for different audiences, and maximize your reach across social media, email, and other channels. You will also receive practical templates and a timeline to keep outreach focused and on track.
The training will begin at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, and will be led by Jennifer Abbott, CAP, and Sara Leonard, MBA, CFRE, two consultants with The Patterson Foundation as part of its Fueling Dynamic Fundraising initiative.
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Prize Opportunity: Best Video Commercial
We're looking for great Giving Challenge commercials.
We continue to accept entries for the 2026 Giving Challenge Best Video Commercial contest. We're looking for short videos (think 30 seconds) that tell a compelling story about a nonprofit's work, while also incorporating the Giving Challenge "Be The One" concept.
Winning videos can be produced in-house or professionally and they must meet certain technical specifications and be posted on either YouTube or Vimeo. Dig into all the details here. The deadline to submit is 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. The 10 nonprofits with the best videos will each win $1,500.
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Community Food Resources
Many local families are in limbo as federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are affected by the government shutdown. Amid the uncertainty, the Women's Resource Center has created a verified list of local food banks and pantries, as well as programs to help children, families, students, seniors, and more.
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Nonprofit Job Bank
Whether you're seeking a new nonprofit position or you want to post an open position at your organization, your local resource is the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southwest Florida Chapter's Job Bank, supported by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
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