Challenge Met: Christian Health Care Claims TBF Grant
The Bolger Foundation is pleased to announce that Christian Health Care (Wyckoff, NJ) has met the fundraising goal set forth in the terms of their 2021 challenge grant from the foundation.
A lead gift made by The Bolger Foundation to Christian Health Care in March 2021 officially kicked off the nonprofit’s Southgate Capital Campaign.
Southgate is Christian Health’s special-care skilled nursing unit; funds raised through the organization’s Growth for Generations initiative will pay for a complete update/renovation and expansion of the Southgate facility, from resident’s rooms to nursing stations to dining areas and other public spaces.
Notes Christian Health President and CEO Douglas A. Struyk, “We reached the grant’s target in December 2021 — one year early! — and continue to raise funds.
“The most exciting aspect of this campaign,” he continues, “is the knowledge of how the improvements underway to Southgate will significantly and positively impact the lives of the residents. [It will] make a tremendous different in each of their lives.”
Matching funds to meet The Bolger Foundation’s challenge grant were raised from individuals, other foundations, and corporations via direct mail appeals, online giving, major gift solicitations, and special events along with an employee giving campaign.
The challenge grant proposal to Christian Health Care was initially planned with the help and guidance of David F. Bolger himself, founder of The Bolger Foundation. It was one of the last such projects set in motion during Mr. Bolger’s lifetime.
Why Challenge Grants Are a Win-Win
For nonprofit organizations like Christian Health Care, a challenge grant serves to energize a fundraising campaign. It also multiplies every dollar received. Over the past 10 years, lab and field studies by economists have yielded some amazing statistics based on empirical data. A few examples:
Challenge grants attract 23% more donors as well as 18% more dollars than an identical campaign sans challenge grant.
Just announcing that matching funds are available increases the revenue per solicitation by 19%; it also increases by 22% the probability that an individual will donate.
Publicly announced seed money will increase charitable donations. Increasing seed money from 10% to 67% yielded a sixfold increase in contributions, with major effects on both gift size and participation.
For more information about the benefits of challenge grants, check out Philanthropy Works’ excellent article Facts About Challenge Grants and Matching Gifts.
Meanwhile, The Bolger Foundation congratulates Christian Health Care on meeting and surpassing the requirements of their challenge grant. Says JT Bolger, the foundation’s president, “The Bolger Foundation is proud to once again partner with Christian Health Care as they continue to serve our community and those who struggle with physical and mental illness.
“We’re excited to see the completion of the Southgate project! Congratulations to Christian Health Care, and thank you to all the supporters who helped them achieve this goal.”
Editor’s note: On September 12, 2013, in honor of The Bolger Foundation’s contributions over the years, Christian Health Care presented David F. Bolger with the inaugural David F. Bolger Award for Service & Leadership.
Since then, this award has been selectively presented to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated exceptional and inspiring levels of leadership, both personally and professionally, with a level of service that puts others above themselves.