Connect to a Cause 2023

Thank YOU for the Support!

Thank you, everyone, for your incredible support during Connect to a Cause 2023! We are deeply grateful to announce that we raised a total of $311,788, benefiting numerous non-profit organizations in our community. The totals raised by each organization is listed below. This remarkable achievement showcases the strength of our community when we unite for causes that matter. Your generosity and commitment inspire us, and we can’t wait to achieve even greater milestones together in Connect to a Cause 2024. Thank you for making this possible!


Thank You, Lorain County

Connect to a Cause 2023 Participating Non-profits Amount Raised

  • A Dementia Friendly Life Foundation $5,543
  • American Red Cross North Central Ohio $3,668
  • Amherst Historical Society $8,977
  • Amherst Schools Educational Foundation $1,272
  • Avon Lake City Schools Foundation $8,006
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County $1,433
  • Black River Audubon Society $2,614
  • Blessing House $15,156
  • Lake Erie Council Boy Scouts of America $835
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio $1,291
  • Brownhelm Historical Association $7,395
  • City Fresh $2,806
  • Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center $182
  • Common Ground $5,431
  • Community Congregational United Church of Christ $2,753
  • Cornerstone Pregnancy Services $1,328
  • Easter Seals Northern Ohio $253
  • Echoing Hills $5,251
  • Educational Service Center of Lorain County $493
  • El Centro de Servicios Sociales $7,019
  • Elyria Arts Council $2,251
  • Elyria City Schools Endowment $937
  • Elyria Public Library Foundation $1,414
  • Elyria YWCA $2,391
  • Family Planning Services of Lorain County $7,469
  • FireFish Arts Inc. $1,429
  • Firelands Association for the Visual Arts $1,665
  • Firelands Schools Endowment $3,676
  • Foundation of the Lorain Public Library System $2,459
  • French Creek YMCA $2,466
  • Friends of Lorain County Junior Fair $832
  • Friends of the Elyria Public Library $2,984
  • Friendship Animal Protective League $5,704
  • Gathering Hope House $1,498
  • Girl Scouts of North East Ohio $1,247
  • Good Knights of Lorain County, Inc. $8,057
  • Goodwill Industries of Lorain County $813
  • Grafton-Midview Public Library $7,670
  • Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity $294
  • Hearts of Patriots $6,882
  • Henry Johnson Center $98
  • Keystone Educational Endowment Program (KEEP) $741
  • Leadership Lorain County $7,677
  • Legal Aid Society of Cleveland $1,057
  • Let's Get Real, Inc. $3,454
  • Lorain City Schools Endowment $1,276
  • Lorain Palace Theatre $1,330
  • Lorain Community Music Theater $1,863
  • Lorain County Community Action Agency $364
  • Lorain County Free Clinic $9,031
  • Lorain County Historical Society $2,829
  • Lorain County Imagination Library $12,368
  • Lorain County Joint Vocational School $1,136
  • Lorain County Metro Parks $6,298
  • Lorain County Office on Aging $2,764
  • Lorain County Safe Harbor Genesis House $5,173
  • Lorain County Urban League $5,257
  • Lorain Historical Society $4,628
  • Lorain Lighthouse Foundation Inc. $1,928
  • Main Street Lorain $3,547
  • Main Street Amherst $2,684
  • Main Street Vermilion $2,511
  • Main Street Wellington, Inc. $1,807
  • Mary Lee Tucker Fund, Inc. $2,733
  • Mercy Foundation of Lorain County $1,504
  • Midview Schools Endowment $1,258
  • National Council of Negro Women $597
  • Neighborhood Alliance $9,672
  • Nord Center $6,163
  • North Ridgeville City Schools Endowment $1,805
  • North Ridgeville Community Care $1,531
  • Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra $587
  • Oberlin Business Partnership (Main Street Oberlin) $1,171
  • Oberlin Choristers $3,285
  • Oberlin Community Services Council $9,459
  • Oberlin Early Childhood Center $41
  • Oberlin Schools Endowment $2,361
  • P.A.C.E. Foundation $150
  • Partners with Paws of Lorain County $1,044
  • Ruby N Jones Community Scholarship Fund $4,015
  • Sandstone Summer Theatre $1,272
  • Save Our Children $2,412
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio $15,274
  • Sheffield-Sheffield Lake School Endowment $661
  • South Amherst Historical Society $3,607
  • Southern Lorain County Historical Society $3,689
  • The LCADA Way $3,939
  • The Salvation Army Elyria $2,188
  • UH Elyria Medical Center Foundation $24
  • United Way of Greater Lorain County $3,453
  • Voices for Children $1,813
  • Wellington Exempted Schools Endowment $159
  • Wesleyan Senior Living Foundation $153
  • Western Reserve Land Conservancy $2, 108

TOTALS $311,788

Business Champions

We extend our sincerest thanks to our incredible Business Champions who generously contributed over $53,000 during Connect to a Cause 2023. Your support makes a significant difference in our community, and we are truly grateful for your commitment to causes that matter.

If you’re interested in becoming a Business Champion and joining us in making an impact next year, please don’t hesitate to contact our Development Officer, Laura Malone. Your partnership would be invaluable, and together, we can continue strengthening our community through Connect to a Cause 2024. Thank you for considering this opportunity!

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‘RAISE THE BAR’ BUSINESS CHAMPIONS

‘SURPRISE!’ BUSINESS CHAMPIONS

‘SHOW ME THE MONEY’ BUSINESS CHAMPIONS

Akron Children’s HospitalAztec SteelBendix
Buckeye Community BankCustom Cleaning SolutionsCohen and Company
EMC PrecisionEmerald Hospitality AssociatesFauver Legal
Fifth Third BankGeisel by HomeServeKidsmile Pediatric Dentistry
L.E. Belardo, AttorneyLorainCounty.comMermaid’s Tale
Modern Poured WallsPNC BankResilia
Ross Environmental ServicesSimplified Facilities GroupStewart Appliances
Strategy Design PartnersVandemark JewelersWickens Herzer Panza
Lake Erie ElectricMercy HealthKenneth L. Cherney Endowment Fund

FAQs for Donors

Connect to a Cause is a community-wide day of giving created to support local non-profit agencies in Lorain County. All donations are coordinated by the Community Foundation of Lorain County and then disbursed to participating organizations following the day of giving.

  • There is no limit to the amount of money a non-profit can raise during Connect to a Cause. The number of donors is also not limited.
  • A minimum of 25% of the organization’s fundraising proceeds from Connect to a Cause will remain in each organization’s agency endowment fund.  The remaining donations will be given directly to the organization to support its mission.
  • A preliminary donation total will be announced at 8:00 PM on Thursday, September 21, with the final total raised on October 3.

The easiest way to make a donation will be through the Community Foundation website at peoplewhocare.org by using a debit or credit card. However, other forms of payment are accepted as well.

  • Checks and/or cash donations must include the Check & Cash Donation Form and be postmarked by Thursday, September 21, or delivered in-person to the Foundation office by 8:00 PM on September 21.
  • Donor Advised Fund (DAF) and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) donations must include the DAF & IRA Contribution Form.  While the DAF/IRA check will come from the DAF/IRA administrator, a copy of the DAF/IRA donation form must be received by email by 8:00 PM on September 21.
  • While recurring donations are encouraged, only donations received on the Connect to a Cause day count towards the total. 
  • The minimum donation amount is $5.

We encourage donors to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to help support their favorite non-profit’s participation in Connect to a Cause. You can also build momentum by responding to the content posted on our Community Foundation Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages. The hashtag #C2CLorainCounty will be the central “hub” for Connect to a Cause communication.

Community Foundation/Connect to a Cause Social Networks:

Facebook
@CommunityFoundationLorainCounty to tag
C2C hashtags: #peoplewhocare #causesthatmatter #C2CLorainCounty

Twitter
@Connectcarematr to tag
C2C hashtags: #peoplewhocare #causesthatmatter #C2CLorainCounty

Instagram
@Connectcarematr to tag
C2C hashtags: #peoplewhocare #causesthatmatter #C2CLorainCounty

LinkedIn
@CommunityFoundationLorainCounty to tag
C2C hashtags: #peoplewhocare #causesthatmatter #C2CLorainCounty

 

There is no fee associated with participating in Connect to a Cause for the organization.  However, any donation made via credit card will incur processing fees of 2.9% plus $0.30.  We have implemented an option for donors to cover a portion of the credit card fee at a flat rate of 3%.

 

The Community Foundation will acknowledge all contributions with tax receipts.  Automatic thank you emails with the tax receipts will go out to all donors who donate via credit card at peoplewhocare.org.  Donations by check will be acknowledged throughout the month of October.

Unless a donor makes an anonymous donation, donor information will be shared with the non-profits for their own, non-tax-related thank you letters.

For marketing, or general questions:

Brittany Lovett, Marketing and Communications Officer
blovett@peoplewhocare.org
440.984.7390

For questions regarding your endowment fund:

Laura Malone, Development Officer
lmalone@peoplewhocare.org
440.984.7390

For questions regarding donations:

Jim Stobe, CFO
jstobe@peoplewhocare.org
440.984.7390