Seward County’s first-ever online giving campaign is in the books – and donors left their mark on projects countywide.
Seward County Gives raised more than $162,000 in just five days, helping to fund everything from new buildings to craft projects to a new splash pad.
The campaign allowed donors to contribute to 24 different nonprofits throughout the county, either by giving online, stopping by an in-person giving station or attending one of many events held during the week.
Local resident Misty Ahmic worked with the Legacy Fund for Seward County, an affiliate of the Nebraska Community Foundation, to get the ball rolling.
Ahmic said there’s always a need for organizations to raise money, and often, it falls to the same donors over and over.
“I approached the Legacy Fund last fall because I was seeing the same people at each fundraiser I attended, and I knew that meant the same people were being asked,” Ahmic said. “(Seward County Gives) was a way to put the ask in front of everyone – and a way to make it easy to create awareness of all the amazing work these organizations are doing.”
In the weeks leading up to the giving, Ahmic said she spent a lot of time sharing information that people didn’t know.
“Simply stated, it’s not just about money,” she said.
It’s about raising awareness, too.
“For example, everyone just assumes all the volunteer fire departments have an ambulance, and when you find out Pleasant Dale doesn’t, it may not initially be important to you, until I mention that if you’re driving to Lincoln and something happens within their district, they must rely on someone else to respond. That is when it gets real,” Ahmic said. “The other fire department projects were equally as worthy.”
Air tanks for Utica firefighters because their existing ones are too old to be serviced anymore. A life-saving electrocardiogram device for Garland’s ambulance. New bunker gear for Staplehurst firefighters because half their sets are past their 10-year fire protection period.
Other organizations raised money for projects few people know about but that serve a wide demographic, Ahmic said, from Foster Friends providing prom dresses for girls who can’t otherwise afford them to the exhibits with local ties available for viewing anytime at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward.
“Hope Crisis Center told me that they struggle getting the word out because people don’t like to talk about what they do, and this was a way to put it out there in a non-confrontational way,” Ahmic said.
The giving campaign was backed by local corporate sponsors who offered a match based on the number of donations received. Each individual donation of $10 or more counted as a point toward the match, so every organization received a portion of the matching funds.
“I am humbled and thankful, and I have never been more honored to be a Seward County resident,” Ahmic said. “We should all be proud of the investment we have made in our home. These dollars will go far in planting seeds to our growth.”
Ahmic said the Seward County Gives campaign will return in 2023, and local organizations are encouraged to get involved with the planning.
“Ultimately, the need will never go away. Awareness will never cease to be an issue,” she said.
To see how the 24 organizations fared in the fundraising, go to www.sewardcountygives.com.
