A match made in Lincoln

Each May the LCF office experiences a flurry of activity thanks to Give to Lincoln Day. From fielding calls and emails from donors and nonprofits, to facilitating thousands of gifts and grants, to coordinating events with local media and sponsors, our small but mighty staff is firing on all cylinders. 

One Give to Lincoln Day activity has become a bit of an office tradition. In the breakroom there is a friendly pool where staff members make their best guess for the total amount raised. Price is Right rules apply – the closest guess without going over receives bragging rights. 

This year’s record-breaking results took most of the team out of the running. 

“At one point, I asked our Senior Accounting Manager Brenda Davis to make sure my numbers were correct,” said Michelle Paulk, LCF’s VP for Community Development and Outreach. “To say we were pleasantly surprised is an understatement.” 

The 13th annual Give to Lincoln Day raised more than $8.5 million dollars – a new record for the event and nearly $1 million more than the previous year. 

“Our community has demonstrated an incredible capacity for giving back,” said President/CEO Alec Gorynski. “These results will benefit 463 nonprofit organizations who contribute so much to the quality of life here in Lincoln.” 

This year’s event also received a boost from the largest match fund in Give to Lincoln Day history, thanks to many generous sponsors including Presenting Sponsor, West Gate Bank. 

“West Gate Bank has championed Give to Lincoln Day from the beginning,” said Alec. “When we met with Chairman, President and CEO Carl Sjulin last year, he challenged us to think outside of the box and find innovative ways to grow the event. With their continued commitment, we set out to do just that and increased the match by 30%.” 

Thanks to the $650,000 match fund, the Foundation also established a new incentive for early giving with its Online Daily Drawings, powered by ALLO Fiber. Each day from May 1st through May 29th, one donation received through GiveToLincoln.com was randomly selected to receive a $250 boost for its designated nonprofit. 

“The daily drawings were a great way to highlight the variety of organizations available to support while building excitement for Give to Lincoln Day,” said VP for Marketing and Communications Jenny Chapin. “As we approached May 30th, we really felt the energy ramp up. We knew we were about to have a big day.” 

And what a day it was! Donors and nonprofit representatives gathered that afternoon in the Railyard for the first-ever Give to Lincoln Day Power Hour. As folks watched GiveToLincoln.com refresh on the Cube’s 40 ft LED screen, a cheer rang out when the total exceeded the final number raised in 2023 at just 5 pm. By the next morning, a new record was realized. 

“When you think about a city of our size raising more than $8.5 million for local nonprofits in the course of a month, it shows you just how generous Lincoln is,” said Michelle. “In its history, Give to Lincoln Day has been the catalyst for $65.5 million in critical support. We can’t wait to see what’s next.” 

Now that the dust has settled on a record-breaking event, it won’t be long before preparations begin for 2025 (save the date for May 29th!). In the meantime, LCF Gift Processor Karlene Behlen gets the bragging rights for having the closest guess in the office pool, although her job may have given her an inside track. 

“I had a feeling as I was processing donations all month long that we’d beat $8 million,” she said with a smile. 

Thank you to our generous match sponsors! 
West Gate Bank, Presenting Sponsor  
ABC Electric  
ALLO Fiber  
Assurity Life Foundation  
Rich Bailey  
Jan & John Blumer  
D.A. Davidson & Co.  
Davis Design  
Frontier Bank  
Jeff & Judy Greenwald  
HBE LLP  
The Hsin & Chao Families  
Kile & Cuz Johnson  
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp.  
Kubly Family Foundation  
Lutz  
Mail Management Services, Inc.  
JoAnn & Derrel Martin Charitable Fund  
Jim McKee & Linda Hillegass  
The Family of J. Gates & Daisy Minnick  
Olsson  
Pepsi Cola of Lincoln  
Pinnacle Bank  
Runza National  
William J. Mueller & Kim M. Robak  
Sampson Construction Company, Inc.  
Joe W. & Ruth K. Seacrest Foundation Fund  
Tom & Lisa Smith  
Dr. Gene & Kristen Stohs  
Ronald & Camilla Svoboda  
Talent Plus Inc  
Mark H. Tallman  
Bill & Mae Whitmer Family Fund  
WRK Family Foundation