As part of the Minot Area Community Foundation's 25th Anniversary celebration, 2025 was dedicated to one simple idea: when generosity is multiplied, communities thrive.
Throughout the year, MACF's Match Madness campaign featured four unique matching opportunities, each designed to strengthen a different aspect of charitable giving in our region. From building nonprofit endowments and investing in local students to growing giving circles and fighting food insecurity, Match Madness demonstrated the incredible impact that can happen when donors, nonprofits, and community partners come together.
Phase One: Building Stronger Nonprofits
Match Madness kicked off in April with the Endowment Fund Challenge, encouraging donors to invest in the long-term sustainability of local nonprofits.
Organizations that raised at least $5,000 for their endowment fund received a $5,000 match from MACF. Twelve organizations successfully met the challenge:
- Dakota Hope Clinic
- Domestic Violence Crisis Center
- Local Motives
- Magic City Discovery Center
- Men's Winter Refuge
- Minot Catholic School Foundation
- Minot Commission on Aging
- Northern Plains Children's Advocacy Center
- Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports
- Souris Valley United Way
- The Difference - A Holistic Approach
- The Lord's Cupboard
Four additional organizations received a surprise dollar-for-dollar match on every dollar raised, despite not reaching the fundraising threshold:
- F5 Project
- Greater Minot Zoological Society
- Minot Area Council of the Arts
- Minot Public School Foundation
Together, participating organizations raised $106,844.64, and MACF contributed an additional $64,189.85 in matching funds, resulting in $171,034.49 invested into nonprofit endowment funds that will continue supporting our community for generations to come.
Phase Two: Investing in Tomorrow's Leaders
In May, Match Madness turned its attention to education.
During the Rotary Club of Minot Scholarship Banquet, students received an unexpected surprise. As part of the campaign, MACF matched the Rotary Scholarship Foundation's $25,000 scholarship distribution, doubling scholarships for 25 graduating seniors. What students believed would be a $1,000 scholarship became a $2,000 investment in their future.
This phase carried special meaning, as the founders of the Rotary Scholarship Foundation were also instrumental in establishing the Minot Area Community Foundation in 2000. Their commitment to education and community philanthropy continues to inspire our work today.
Phase Three: Growing Community Giving
In July, Match Madness focused on expanding philanthropy through MACF's giving circles.
New memberships were matched, helping increase future grantmaking opportunities while welcoming new community members into collective giving.
The Membership Match Challenge resulted in:
- 8 new Give360 members
- 4 new Power of the Purse members
Every new membership not only strengthened the giving circles themselves but also expanded their ability to support local projects for years to come.
Phase Four: Fighting Hunger Together
The final phase of Match Madness invited the entire community to help fight hunger through the Donation Station Challenge Grant.
From September through December, every pound of food donated generated a $1 grant from the Arnold I. Besserud Fund to participating food pantries.
The results were remarkable.
Together, community members collected 19,354 pounds of food, unlocking $19,354 in grants to support local food pantries.
It was a simple concept with a powerful outcome, turning food donations into both immediate assistance and additional financial support for organizations serving neighbors in need.
Thank You for Making Match Madness a Success
Match Madness was created as a way to celebrate 25 years of community philanthropy, but its true success came from the generosity of donors, volunteers, nonprofit partners, businesses, and community members who chose to participate.
Whether you made a gift to an endowment fund, joined a giving circle, donated food, or encouraged others to get involved, you helped strengthen our community in meaningful and lasting ways.
As we reflect on our 25th Anniversary, Match Madness stands as a reminder of what is possible when a community comes together with a shared commitment to giving.
Because YOU give.