Thanks to Lorain County, Connect to a Cause 2026 Reaches New Heights

By the time the last Connect to a Cause was calculated, the day had already given us more than a final total of $610,853 for 112 nonprofits… A moment that shocked us, but then caused us to pause, and simply say, “Lorain County is a county that shows up for neighbors to make more possible – How can we be shocked?!”

What stays with us most from Connect to a Cause Day and Celebration are the conversations we have and hear about the impact of a day rooted in unity and showing up for one another.

A nonprofit leader explaining why their work matters. A first-time donor learning about an organization they had never heard of before. A business owner creating incentives for patrons to give to their Connect to a Cause donation box. A community member stopping their commute on Leavitt Road long enough to ask, “What exactly is Connect to a Cause?”

Those moments are harder to count, but they are some of the most meaningful parts of the day to each of our staff.

This year, we spent more time than ever creating opportunities for these conversations to happen. We spoke with community groups, connected with local partners, shared more stories from community members passionate about an effort like Connect to a Cause, and used social media not simply to promote September 17, but to help the community better understand the people, missions, and the needs behind it.

Connect to a Cause is easy to describe as a 12-hour giving day, but that description only tells part of the story. At the Community Foundation of Lorain County, we believe the real heart of the day is found in its discovery: finding an organization whose work speaks to you, hearing a story that changes how you see a need in your own backyard, or rather, just realizing there is a way for you to help that you had not yet considered.

And on September 17, we also saw our local community partners jump right into action…

Nonprofits invited community members into their spaces and connected with partners to help amplify their work. Business Champions heightened their impact through a record-breaking $70,000 pool for matching dollars and incentives. City and county leaders made Connect to a Cause Day proclamations with our local city municipalities. A live on-air radio call-a-thon helped a first-time listener hear “Connect to a Cause.”

The photos from Connect to a Cause Day capture what we hope people remember most: Not just donations being made, but people showing up for one another and better understanding the hundreds of missions happening each day around them… Not just organizations asking for support, but organizations sharing their whys.

We are grateful for every invitation to speak, every introduction, every shared post, every conversation, and each and every person who took the time to learn about a cause they may not have known the day before.

We are proud to see Lorain County continue to make this day its own. Connect to a Cause may live on the calendar for one day, but the relationships behind it are built throughout the year, and the work those relationships make possible continues long after September 17.

So, when we look back at these photos, that is what we see: A community not simply giving, but paying attention to one another.

And for that, we cannot say thank you enough.