HANCOCK COUNTY — Sara Cummins knows the competition can be fierce.
When she got the call last week that FUSE, the nonprofit she leads, was invited to compete in this year’s Steak’n Bake’n Raffle, she sent an email out to potential donors within a few short hours.
Each year, local nonprofits compete to see who can raise the most funds by the end of the annual event, put on by the Rotary Club of Greenfield. This year’s event will be held on Sept. 18 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.
Rotarians select 10 nonprofits each year to compete, giving them about six weeks to raise funds leading up to the Steak’n Bake’n event. This year, all 14 applicants were invited to participate since last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19.
At the dinner, attendees can vote for their favorite nonprofits with $1 votes.
The top five who have raised the most money by 9 p.m. that night also split the proceeds from the Steak’n Bake’n dinner, which typically raises about $30,000 through ticket sales, wine pulls and raffles.
That makes for a big influx in funds for local nonprofits, especially when groups are trying harder than ever to raise money after most big fundraisers were canceled last year.
“Since its inception, the Steak’n Bake raffle has helped raise over $450,000 for our local nonprofits,” said Ginny Brown, a Rotary volunteer who coordinates the yearly nonprofit raffle.
In 2019, the 10 participating nonprofits raised $75,900, and the Steak’n Bake’n event brought in another $32,500, for a total $108,400 raised among them.
It’s a huge deal for nonprofits who are constantly struggling to generate enough funds.
As director of a nonprofit herself, Brown knows what a blessing it can be to get an extra boost in the constant drive to raise funds and spread awareness about how nonprofits benefit the community.
“To get their name in front of 500 people that evening is really great. They also get to give an elevator speech at the Rotary Club meeting, which also helps spread awareness,” said Brown, executive director of the Greenfield-Central School Foundation.
Crystal Wiley is looking forward to spreading the word about Zoey’s Place, the child advocacy center that opened in Greenfield at the start of this year.
“We’re really excited for the opportunity to get our message out and explain to people what we do, especially being a new nonprofit in Hancock County,” said Wiley, executive director for the center, which conducts forensic interviews for children who have been victims of crime.
Wiley plans to collaborate with the board of directors and fundraising committee to formulate a fundraising plan, including reaching out to both new and existing donors.
Cummins, a veteran at Steak’n Bake’n Raffle events, has created an information campaign to spread awareness of what FUSE does — empowering families and individuals with disabilities and mental health needs.
“As soon as we found out we were invited to participate in this year’s raffle, I wanted to make sure my funders were aware and that they were able to be involved,” said Cummins, who looks forward to the Steak’n Bake’n Raffle each year.
“It’s one of our favorite events, because it impacts our community in such a huge way. Obviously we’re particular to our mission, but we adore all the other nonprofits in our community, and this allows all of us a great opportunity to raise funds,” she said.
Brown said it’s important to point out that the money raised at Steak’n Bake’n are unrestricted funds, mean they can be used in any way a nonprofit sees fit, rather than being earmarked for certain things, as many nonprofit grants tend to be.
“Unrestricted funds are very hard to raise in the nonprofit world,” said Cummins. “Especially with the pandemic and everything we’ve just been through as nonprofits, this is more important than ever this year.”
Wiley said such funds allow nonprofits to be more flexible in their spending, which is a lifesaver when money is tight.
“These unrestricted funds are extremely helpful with the day-to-day operations,” she said.
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The Steak’n Bake’n dinner, put on by the Rotary Club of Greenfield, takes place Sept. 18 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, starting at 6 p.m.
This year, 14 local nonprofits will be competing in the Steak’n Bake’n Raffle event, each trying to raise the most money by 9 p.m. the night of the dinner. While all nonprofits keep the money they raise, the five who raise the most funds will also split the pot of all money raised at Steak’n Bake’n, which is typically around $30,000 total.
This year’s participants are:
Greenfield Youth Baseball Booster Club
Greenfield-Central School Foundation
FUSE
Love INC
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hancock County
Friends of Hancock County CASA
Hancock Hope House
Meals on Wheels
Zoey’s Place
A Better Life-Brianna’s Hope
Talitha Koum House
The Landing Place
Hancock County Senior Services
Life Choices Care Center
Last year’s Steak’n Bake dinner, along with many other nonprofit fundraising events, was canceled due to the pandemic.
In 2019, the top winning nonprofits included:
Friends of the Theatre
Hancock County Senior Services
Life Choices Care Center
Pennsy Trails of Hancock County
Boys & Girls Club of Hancock County
To purchase tickets, call Deby Low at 317-467-2228 or Stacey Wixson at 317-477-7045.
Tickets are $40 each.
Information: rotaryclubgreenfield.org
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