SALINA, Kan.— The Greater Salina Community Foundation will host Salina’s annual Match Madness giving day on Thursday, March 13, 2025, for the 14th year in a row!
On this day, donations to any of the 104 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 13 will go to each charity’s permanent 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 that the charity can access instantly to meet immediate needs. This year, there are $300,000 in matching funds, thanks to the generosity of private donors.
“This event is a win-win for everyone, and a great example of community collaboration. Donations of all sizes are pooled together to provide long-term support for our charities, and the match given can be used instantly by the charities to meet urgent needs,” said Jessica Martin, Executive Director.
Donors can give three different ways: 1) In person from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Salina Fieldhouse, 140 N. 5th Street, 2) Online at www.matchmadnessgscf.org from midnight to 11:59 p.m., or 3) Mail donations postmarked on March 13 to GSCF, PO Box 2876, Salina, KS 67402-2876.
The event will include:
- Bill Grevas Memorial Free Throw Contest, sponsored by Bennington State Bank, where nonprofit representatives will have one minute to shoot free throws for a chance to earn up to $100 in bonus cash for their organization. The competition starts at 10:30 a.m. and will run until 5 p.m. Come down to the fieldhouse and cheer on your favorite nonprofits!
- BE Wealth Half-Court Shot for Charity, where nonprofit representatives will attempt to make a shot from half-court, and the winner will receive an extra $1,000 for their organization. The competition starts at 5:30 p.m. Come down to the fieldhouse and cheer on all the nonprofits.
- Coffee and treats from Ad Astra Books & Coffee House in the morning and afternoon.
- Food trucks, including Paradise Eats, and 805 Taco’s will be serving food all day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside of the Salina Fieldhouse.
- Nonprofit booths will be set up from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.
All Saline County 5th graders will also attend Match Madness for the third year in a row. Each student is equipped with $10 to contribute to the endowed fund of their favorite nonprofit, which is then matched up to 50% by the Foundation. The $10 is provided by local donors, giving students the opportunity to learn about philanthropy and the nonprofit organizations in our community.
When asked if this event is important for students, one fifth grade teacher said, “We can’t teach this. This is something that the students experience, and in our realm of the day anytime we can let a student have an experience outside of the classroom, it’s a home run!”
Visit the Match Madness website, www.matchmadnessgscf.org, to learn more about the 104 nonprofits participating this year and view live donation updates on the day of the event.
Since the event’s inception in 2012, 9,621 donors contributed a record-breaking total of $4,154,409 to 106 charities. The events match and bonus grants total $1,811,029 and the total benefit exceeds $5.9 million in total impact to the community.
