GoodGiving Guide Asks Bluegrass to Give to Two UK Nonprofits

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2011) − The GoodGiving Guide Challenge      , recently launched by Smiley Pete Publishing and the Bluegrass Community Foundation          , hopes to         help support local nonprofit organizations in the Lexington area. The campaign, which runs through Dec. 31, hopes to raise $100,000 for the featured organizations and foundations.  

The community fundraising campaign was modeled after a very successful fundraiser in Portland, Ore., called Give!Guide that has raised more than $4 million over the past seven years for area organizations. Here in Lexington, the GoodGiving Guide surpassed the halfway mark to its goal of raising $100,000 for local nonprofits in less than two weeks.

There are 58 local nonprofits involved with the GoodGiving Guide, two of which are from the University of Kentucky. The Markey Cancer Foundation and the Art Museum at UK are participating in the challenge and hope to receive a lot of community support through the initiative.

The Markey Cancer Foundation invests in the people and programs at the Markey Cancer Center to discover a cure for cancer, devise new and better treatments to fight cancer, and provide compassionate patient and family care. For every dollar contributed to the foundation, 95 cents goes directly to Markey.

"The nature of today’s economy presents many challenges, but also an opportunity to 're-imagine' your service, and to motivate others to help you in that effort," says Trish Jaracz, vice president and director of development for the Markey Cancer Foundation. "The foundation, now more than ever, is creatively thinking about the ways we can more effectively and efficiently touch the lives of those we serve. By participating in the GoodGiving Challenge, donors can play an important role in that mission, too."

The Art Museum at UK is participating in order to help generate donations to fund art education programs in 19 Kentucky counties, to help teachers by hosting workshops and providing valuable resources, and to present award-winning exhibitions. The museum not only serves Lexington, but the entire Bluegrass region.

"The GoodGiving Guide provides a very fun way to give, and give local," said Lyndi Van Deursen, marketing and membership coordinator for the Art Museum at UK.

There are other perks to giving besides the good feeling generated from helping out some local community organizations. Depending on the dollar amount donated, you will receive gift packages ranging from coupons to local shops and entertainment venues, to free items such as bottles of Buffalo Trace bourbon to handmade truffles from TruffleDiva.com. There is also a chance to win a two-year lease on a 2011 Subaru Outback from Quantrell Subaru.

The GoodGiving Guide also hopes to encourage younger generations to donate. Special gift packages are being offered for donors under the age of 35. Younger donors, who donate at least $10 to the campaign, have an opportunity to win such gifts as $500 from Republic Bank, Lexington Legends tickets and dinner with the Smiley Pete Publishing owners.

For more information on how to give and more detailed information on the nonprofits. visit www.GoodGivingGuide.net.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716 or whitney.hale@uky.edu