State College, PA – May 12, 2023 – For the twelfth consecutive year, the Centre County community came together to raise funds benefiting local nonprofits through Centre Gives. This year, a record-breaking $2,316,315 was raised via 15,213 total gifts in 36 hours as part of this annual online fundraiser.

“What an amazing thirty-six hours of giving! We are once again overwhelmed with our community’s generosity,” said Molly Kunkel, President and CEO of Centre Foundation. “This support will make a tremendous difference for the 205 participating nonprofits.”

Hundreds of people gathered at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte during Centre Gives Fest on the evening of May 11 to countdown the final hours of Centre Gives. The celebration included live music, local food, giving stations, and a variety of family-friendly activities hosted by participating nonprofits.

“We’re thrilled we could celebrate Centre Gives with the community in Talleyrand Park this year,” said Kunkel. “It was a beautiful setting for the event’s exciting conclusion.”

Over thirty local nonprofits joined the Centre Gives Fest fun. Each organization brought its own special flair by hosting an activity that tied their mission to the spirit of Centre Gives.

Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center, a nonprofit based in Bellefonte that provides equine-assisted therapy to children and adults with special needs, brought two miniature horses to Centre Gives Fest.  

“Centre Gives means a lot to Rising Hope. We are strictly a nonprofit and we rely on donations,” said Cindy Kocher, one of the founders of Rising Hope. “Without Centre Gives, we wouldn’t be able to feed our horses. It broadens our exposure to the community and what we offer and can provide to individuals.”

Spotlight PA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that launched its first regional bureau in State College in 2022, participated in Centre Gives for the first time this year. They brought an exclusive Centre County-themed news and trivia quiz for Centre Gives Fest attendees to test their knowledge about the county.

“We were really excited to be in our first Centre Gives and we were overwhelmed by the support we got from the community,” said Sarah Rafacz, editor of Spotlight PA’s State College bureau. “It was so fun to be at Centre Gives Fest and connect with our readers and hear what Spotlight means to them.”

Since Centre Gives began in 2012, over $16.9 million has been invested into local nonprofits, supporting organizations in the areas of arts, animals, education, environment, and human services, and more.

Centre Gives 2023 was sponsored by many forward-thinking members of the community including the Hamer Foundation, FNB Wealth Management, Nestlerode & Loy Inc., Stuckey Mitsubishi, Morgan Stanley, Frost & Conn Insurance, M&T Bank, King Financial Partners, Goodco Mechanical, Leonard S. Fiore, Inc., McQuaide Blasko, State College Police Department, The Hartman Agency, CNB Bank, the William H. & Amy Sue Martin Fund, and UDNI.

Centre Foundation’s advertising efforts for Centre Gives were generously supported by Seven Mountains Media, Centre Daily Times, and Lamar.

During Centre Gives, gifts go further thanks to the stretch pools totaling $300,000 provided by Centre Foundation and the Hamer Foundation, along with $40,000 in prizes.

The following prizes were awarded to nonprofits during Centre Gives 2023:

Prizes of $1,000 were awarded to the top five large and small organizations with the most unique donors for the entirety of Centre Gives.

Top 5 Large Organization Prize winners include: Centre County PAWS, Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Pets Come First, Schlow Library Foundation, and State College Food Bank.

Top 5 Small Organization Prize winners include: Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Centre Wildlife Care, Dyslexia Reading Center, Nittany Beagle Rescue, and Park Forest Preschool.

Power Hour Prizes of $500 were awarded to the large and small organizations with the most unique donors during designated hours.

Power Hour Prize winners for large organizations include: Schlow Library Foundation, Discovery Space, Strawberry Fields, Foxdale Village, Interfaith Human Services, Centre County PAWS, 3 Dots Downtown, Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College Food Bank, ClearWater Conservancy, Pets Come First, and Out of the Cold: Centre County.

Power Hour Prize winners for small organizations include: Centre County Historical Society, State College Area Rowing, Dyslexia Reading Center, Park Forest Preschool, State College Area Roller Derby, Centre Wildlife Care, Nittany Greyhounds, Bellefonte Art Museum, The Hundred Cat Foundation, Pixie Dust Wishes, and TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania.

Countdown to #CentreGives prizes of $250 each were randomly awarded to organizations that participated in Facebook challenges before the start of Centre Gives.

Countdown Prize winners include: Strawberry Fields, Centre County Library and Historical Museum, Dyslexia Reading Center, and State College Area Roller Derby

The organization that received the very first donation during Centre Gives 2023 was selected to win a $250 prize.

First Gift Prize winner is: Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania.

Centre Foundation is celebrating over 40 years of creating a vibrant Centre County! In honor of the foundation’s anniversary, the organization that received the 1,981st gift during Centre Gives 2023 was selected to win $250.

42nd Anniversary Prize Winner is: State College Area Roller Derby

The organization which received the donation pushing Centre Gives past the $1 million mark was selected to win a $250 prize.

Million Maker Prize winner is: 3 Dots Downtown.

The organization which received the donation pushing Centre Gives past the $2 million mark was selected to win a $250 prize.

Two Million Maker Prize winner is: Centre LGBTQA Support Network.

In honor of the first Centre Gives in 2012, the organization that received the donation closest to 20:12 (8:12 PM) on May 10 was selected to win a $250 prize.

12 Years of Centre Gives winner is: Spotlight PA.

Magic Minute prizes of $100 each were awarded to the first 20 organizations that received a gift during the exact minute of 3:33 PM.

Magic Minute Prize winners include: Pixie Dust Wishes, The Fred H Carlin Community Vision Foundation, The Quelmar Realm, State College Area Roller Derby, Moshannon Creek Watershed Association, FaithCentre, Park Forest Preschool, The Roland Curtin Foundation for the Preservation of Eagle Furnace, State College Music Boosters, Ten Thousand Villages State College, Foxdale Village, Schlow Library Foundation, Friends of Holt Memorial Library, Centre County Library & Historical Museum, Centre LifeLink EMS, Nittany Greyhounds, Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania, VanDance Inc., Friends of Bellefonte Little House, and Next Stage Theatre Company.

Two large and two small organizations that benefit from endowment funds at Centre Foundation were randomly selected to win $250 each.

Centre Foundation Endowment Lucky Ticket Prize winners include: Centre Care, Centre Region Parks and Recreation, Rowland Theatre, and Volunteer Centre County

Two large and two small organizations that received a grant from a Centre Foundation donor-advised fund through Centre Gives were randomly selected to win $250 each.

Centre Foundation Donor-Advised Lucky Ticket Prize winners are: CentreBike, Housing Transitions, Mid-State Literacy Council, and Nittany Performing Arts Centre.

One organization from each of the five major regions of Centre County was randomly selected to win a $250 prize.

Regional Lucky Ticket Prize winners are:

One organization participating in its first Centre Gives was randomly selected to win a $250 prize.

The New Participant Prize winner: Little German Band.

Every gift of $100 or more given between 10 PM-midnight on May 10 was entered into a random drawing for their organization to win an additional $500 prize.

Night Owl Prize winners are: Juniata Valley Council Boy Scouts and Nittany Beagle Rescue.

Every gift of $100 or more given between 5-7 AM on May 11 was entered into a random drawing for their organization to win an additional $500 prize.

Rise and Shine Prize winners are: Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania and Port Matilda EMS.

For the second year, Centre Foundation celebrated the final hours of Centre Gives live at Centre Gives Fest. Five prizes of $250 each were awarded based on a random drawing of those who attended Centre Gives Fest and nominated their favorite nonprofit to win.

Centre Gives Fest Prize winners are: Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, State College Area Roller Derby, Friends of Golden Pond, Youth Service Bureau, and Nittany Greyhounds.

One organization that hosted an engaging activity at Centre Gives Fest was selected to win a $250 prize.

Centre Gives Fest Community Engagement Prize winner: The Quelmar Realm.

One organization that created a promotional video for Centre Gives 2023 was selected to win a $250 prize.

Creative Video Prize winners: State College Community Theatre.

One organization that designed a creative social media post for Centre Gives 2023 was selected to win a $250 prize.

Creative Centre Gives Social Media Prize winner: ACRES Project.

The donor who gave to the most organizations during Centre Gives 2023 was invited to select one organization to receive an additional $500 prize.

Good Neighbor Prize winner: Centre LGBTQA Support Network.

At the conclusion of Centre Gives, ten Last Chance Prizes of $250 each were awarded to organizations that had not previously won a prize.

Last Chance Prize winners include: Central PA Theatre & Dance Fest presented by Tempest Production, Centre County Farmland Trust, Centre Helps, Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum, O-An Zendo Meditation Center, Ridgelines Language Arts, Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center, Ronald McDonald House of Danville, Inc., Sock & Buskin Theatre Company, and The Salvation Army.

For more information visit www.CentreGives.org.