The Giving Challenge is a community-based online giving event inspiring donors and citizen philanthropists to learn more about the nonprofits and causes in Southwest Florida they care about most.
Frequently-Asked Questions
What’s it all about? The Giving Challenge is a 24-hour online fundraising event hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, connecting hundreds of local nonprofits with donors across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. The 2026 event runs noon April 15 through noon April 16, and thanks to The Patterson Foundation, donations between $25 and $100 are matched 1:1. It’s a great chance to double your impact for STUG!
What will you do with the donations? We will be fulfilling the mission of our Refurb Group. You know, those dedicated volunteers who refurbish computers for the community? The Group that has given over 25,000 computers to all aspects of Sarasota County and its neighbors. Read more about this incredible part of STUG.
Do we have to donate a specific amount? Any amount is welcome, but to qualify for matching funds, grants, and prizes, the minimum is $25, and donations must be made online.* Feel free to choose an amount meaningful to you — $92 because that’s the year you arrived in our area? The Patterson Foundation will double any donation in the $25–$100 range. If you’d like to give more than $100, having a spouse or family member donate separately will maximize the match.
How much is this costing STUG? The credit-card fee of 6% is deducted from all contributions, which pays for the processing of your gift. (So if you’d like to donate, say, $53 so STUG gets the full $50, that would be terrific!)
How has STUG gotten the word out? We’ve sent broadcast emails to all members, posted on our website, and promoted the event on Facebook. The real cost is the time and talent our volunteers have put in — and we hope you’ll spend a few minutes spreading the word too (read on…)
How can I help? In addition to any donation you choose to make, you can help spread the word to those you know. If you maintain a personal, club, residents or business email list, that’s a great place to spread the word. If you are active in on-line forums or discussion groups, on Facebook or X or LinkedIn, there’s more folks you can alert.
But I can’t ask friends to give money to my causes! You don’t have to! They can donate to one or many of the 700 local causes participating, but of course we hope you’ll make STUG the first item in your “gift basket.”
All you have to do is ask your on-line acquaintances to visit, between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday (Yes, for you night owls: you can visit in your jammies at 3 a.m. if that’s your bag), our profile page at The Giving Partner.
Is donating on-line safe? Ultra-safe. The Giving Partner uses state-of-the-art security. If you’d still rather donate in person, stop by the Refurb Shop either morning — a STUG Board member will be happy to help.
Is my donation tax-deductible? Yes, 100%.
Will my name get on a list? The only people who will ever see your email address will be us, and that’s so we can acknowledge your gift. The foundations and the financial processing service cannot see your address. And we, of course, never reveal, rent or sell your email to anyone. Never have, never will.
I’m not available on April 15 until late. Is it worth my while to donate that night or the next morning? Anytime during the 24 hours, from noon on April 15 through until noon on April 16, the Giving Challenge is active and your donation up to $100 will be doubled.
STUG 