2009 Wiregrass Foundation Challenge Grant

Before the 2008-09 campaign kicked off, the Wiregrass Foundation made a challenge pledge to donate $400,000 to the Wiregrass United Way if we reached our goal of $2.6 Million. Understanding the hardships that so many of our local businesses and residents are facing this year due to the economic challenges, we knew it would be a tough year and it truly would take EVERYONE working together make our goal this year.

So, with one week left to go in the campaign and still around $25,000 short of our goal, our campaign leadership team gathered for one last brainstorming session and decided to host our 1st ever Pledge-A-Thon. It was a HUGE success raising over $25,000 in less than 8 hours! We couldn't have been more excited and more thankful for such an AMAZING & GENEROUS community. So, needless to say - we met the challenge and brought the extra $400,000 challenge grant home for our agenices! 

The grant money from the Wiregrass Foundation Challenge Grant is ADDITIONAL money that our agencies use to fund capital improvement items & projects such as building renovations, facility maintenance equipment, technology upgrades, furniture and linens for shelters, food service equipment, telephone systems, handicap accessible doors, medical equipment, etc. This grant money does not replace the monthly allocations that our agencies receive on a steady basis thanks to the generosity of our donors - this is in a sense, "bonus money" they can use to make improvements at their respective agencies. 

29 of our 38 agencies received a portion of the Wiregrass Foundation Challenge Grant. A complete list of the funded projects can be found here. Our Funds Distribution Committees visited with each one of our agencies and decided which projects to recommend for funding. After the Wiregrass Foundation Board of Directors approved the recommended list, the WUW Prize Patrol struck and started delivering unexpected but very welcome checks to our agencies! 

Special thanks to our campaign chairs, boards, loaned executives, agencies, campaign coordinators and everyone else who played a role in securing this grant for our community. We NEVER could have done it without you all!