Cobb Community Foundation’s Match Magic Giveathon wrapped up on December 3, 2024, and we are absolutely blown away by this year’s results!
This powerful initiative brought together 25 incredible Cobb County nonprofits, empowering them to unlock their share of a $100,000+ match pool. Over just two short weeks, the community came together in an extraordinary way, raising a staggering $700,000 in donations, and surpassing every expectation! When combined with a $108,000 match pool, the total impact reaches $808,000——helping families find food and other basic needs, children access education, and neighbors secure housing, safety, and health services.
How it All Started
This year’s achievements represent a monumental leap from last year’s $71,000 total. Here's what we did:
Built a Match Pool: We created a pool to proportionately match funds raised by nonprofits during the campaign, up to 10% in matching funds. Initially, we aimed for $50,000. However, Walton Communities stepped up to meet that goal, inspiring us to dream even bigger. Thanks to an anonymous donor and generous contributions from Papa John’s, The Macallan Group, Indian Hills Country Club, S.A. White Oil Company, Georgia Power, Brasfield & Gorrie, Synovus, and Magnolia Trust Company, our pool grew to $108,000!
Selected the Nonprofits: We invited nonprofits serving Cobb County to apply. Out of 42 applicants, 25 were carefully selected by a team of 26 trained community reviewers, including local leaders and volunteers.
Launched a Two-Week Blitz: Unlike last year’s six-week campaign, this year’s fundraising window was just two weeks (November 19–December 3). Armed with optimism and strategic planning, we went all in.
Training Tools: We equipped our 25 participating nonprofits with everything they needed to succeed. From workshops on storytelling to templates for social media, email, and letters to donors, we ensured each nonprofit had the resources to shine.
Digital Outreach: Campaign awareness was another critical factor in the campaign’s success. A multi-channel approach amplified our efforts, creating a "surround sound" effect with announcements on social media, emails, and updates on our website.
Media Outreach: A beautifully designed booklet featuring all 25 nonprofit stories was distributed to 5,700 households through the MDJ Marietta Daily Journal on launch day. The MDJ also announced the campaign in the paper with updates throughout the two-week period.
Exceeding Every Expectation
The result? Donations poured in through checks, stock gifts, wire transfers, and online contributions. Some donors even bundled their entire annual contributions into this campaign, maximizing their impact through the Match Magic program.
Our goals were ambitious:
Cobb Community Foundation's Goal for the Nonprofits: $250,000
Nonprofit’s Collective Goal for Themselves: $556,000
What happened next was nothing short of inspiring. As the community rallied, contributions kept coming—until, at last, we surpassed even the boldest projections.
Final Total: $700,000 raised! With the match pool, this will result in $808,000 for programs across Cobb County. These funds will empower nonprofits to ACTIVATE GOOD—transforming lives across the county.
Below are the amounts raised by each of the participating nonprofits and the portion of the match pool received by each one.
Watch this video to see what Shari Martin, President and CEO of Cobb Community Foundation, has to say about the results.
Amounts raised by nonprofits and portion of the match pool received
Let's Keep The Momentum Going!
Help us spread the word by sharing our story far and wide so everyone knows about the amazing work happening in our commun
A Heartfelt Thank You
This incredible success was only possible thanks to:
- Our Donors: Individuals, families, and businesses who gave generously.
- Nonprofits: The dedicated organizations that serve our community with passion and purpose.
- Media Partners: MDJ Marietta Daily Journal, for helping us tell our story far and wide.
- The Cobb Community Foundation and Bower Comm Marketing Team: For their relentless energy and unwavering commitment to this cause.
- Our Funders: Who started it all...
