15
YEARS
OF
15 YEARS OF ERIE
FINAL NUMBERS REFLECT $11,357,387 CONTRIBUTED BY DONORS AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS DURING THIS YEAR’S ERIE GIVES, SUPPORTING 539 NONPROFITS AND CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF COLLECTIVE GIVING! VOL. 04
ERIE GIVES!
Erie Gives 2025 was once again a tremendous success thanks to the grassroots efforts of the 539 participating community groups, the tens of thousands of donors who truly make this day possible, and the many individuals who added their own personal touches to this giving-centered day!
From Alaina Adams and Ella Patterson’s longtime lemonade stand (which this year raised more than $7,000 for Taylor’s Hope) to Lee Lucian-Shadeck’s ARTIST GIVES exhibition supporting the Bonus Bucks pool, creativity and generosity were on full display across our community
Our Erie Gives Block Party brought 459 W Sixth Street alive with five
GIVES!
musical performances from local nonprofits, appearances by seven mascots, three food trucks, 13 nonprofit tables, and more community spirit than we could count all emceed by the ever-energetic DJ Bill Page
Later in the day, we celebrated our 15th birthday with a Sweet Treat Social featuring more food trucks, music, and plenty of shared joy
Continued on inside cover.
Erie Gives 2025
Dr Chris Karns
Helping Today Grant Scholarship
Findley Lake Community Emerging Erie Fund Erie Women’s Fund
Grants $100,000 $100,000 Grant Awarded Foundation SSJNN Bike Program
LGBT Fund Grant Cycle Now Open!
Calendar of Events Grant Cycle Now Open!
This year’s Bonus Bucks Pool reached a record $634,000+ giving every donation an extra boost Our Regional Affiliates also added to this year’s Bonus Bucks Pool to strengthen the nonprofits in their own communities North East contributed $30,000, Corry $25,000, Union City $15,000, and Findley Lake $5,000 Throughout the day, we awarded 13 hourly $500 grants to randomly selected nonprofits, provided media opportunities for 60+ nonprofits, and witnessed the incredible generosity that makes Erie Gives so meaningful year after year
We are thrilled to share the official results of Erie Gives 2025! Together, 12,064 donors made 38,998 gifts, raising an incredible $11,357,387 in just 24 hours! That’s $1 6 million more than last year setting new records for both donors and dollars raised Among the 539 participating nonprofits, 34 were first-time participants, collectively raising $144,679 “We are so humbled by this year’s outpouring of support and incredibly grateful for the generosity that shines across every corner of our community,” says Karen Bilowith, President and CEO “Together, we are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of our neighbors and our community ” Read more about Erie Gives 2025 here.
Our Helping Today Grant Cycle 4 is now open! It’s the final cycle of this calendar year, closing on Wednesday, October 15. Applicants may request up to $50,000, with funds to be spent within twelve (12) months of receiving the award. To apply, please schedule a required preapplication meeting with our Community Impact team to review eligibility and next steps. Full details and steps can be found on our website
Luke the Laker (Mercyhurst), Victor E. Knight (Gannon), and C. Wolf (Erie SeaWolves) joined us!
Members of Team perfor
EMERGING ERIE FUND AWARDS RECORD $100,000 GRANT TO SECOND HARVEST
At July’s Emerging Erie Fund Grant Reception, Second Harvest Food Bank was awarded a $100,000 grant the largest in the Fund’s history to support the launch of the Second Harvest Marketplace, a first-of-its-kind Healthy Pantry Initiative opening in Erie this summer The Marketplace will
operate like a free grocery s access to fresh, healthy foods along with nutrition education and wraparound support services The Emerging Erie Fund (EEF) continues to build on a track record of bold investments Last year, EEF awarded $75,000 to Erie City Moms to launch the H O M E (Home Ownership for Mothers in Erie) Initiative, helping Erie moms pursue home ownership and residential skillbuilding Read the full story about this innovative project and the impact it will have on families across our community here
FINDLEY LAKE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION JOINS ERIE GIVES BONUS BUCKS POOL
The Findley Lake Community Foundation joined its fellow Regional Affiliates by contributing $5,000 to the Erie Gives Bonus Bucks Pool, designated for Findley Lake-based nonprofits The Bonus Bucks are an incentive-based program, whereby each donation a nonprofit receives during Erie Gives earns a proportional share of the pool. The more a nonprofit raises, the more Bonus Bucks they earn This year, six Findley Lake nonprofits collectively raised $55,400 on Erie Gives!
A LIFE OF COMPASSION: HONORING DR. CHRIS KARNS
Some lives shine so brightly, their impact continues long after they’re gone Dr. Christopher “Chris” Karns was one of those people a devoted husband, father, physician, and friend who lived each day with kindness, courage, and integrity. From his earliest days as an Eagle Scout to his years serving patients in the emergency room, Chris embodied the Scout Law principles that guided him: trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, and bravery. When Chris’s life was tragically cut short in 2024 due to an accident, his family and community sought a way to carry forward the spirit of generosity and compassion that defined him. Together, his wife Dawn and his parents established the Dr Chris Karns Good Citizenship Scholarship at The Erie Community Foundation. Through this new legacy, Chris’s story continues, reminding us that true citizenship is measured not in years lived, but in the lives touched along the way Read the full story here
PEDALING TOWARD AN EMPOWERED COMMUNITY
For Erie’s newcomers and refugees, bicycles of lifeline to school, work, and essential services T to a $22,925 grant from The Erie Community Foundation and the generosity of a fundholder partnered with us through their Donor Advised the Sisters of St Joseph Neighborhood Networ expanded its bike program This support helps a critical need for vital, everyday transportation our community This partnership reflects our ongoing effort to proactively connect donors with funding opportunities that inspire them, while mobilizing even more of our grant dollars to benefit the community Click here to read the full story
Chris, Dawn, and their three children Nathan, Carter, and Alaina.
ERIE WOMEN’S FUND AWARDS $100,000 GRANT AND OPENS NEW GRANT CYCLE
The Erie Women’s Fund (EWF) gathered in July to celebrate the power of collective giving and the lasting difference it makes in our community. Since its founding in 2007, EWF has awarded over $1.3 million in grants, supporting organizations that empower women, children, and families across Erie County At this year’s Grant Reception, they awarded a $100,000 grant to Dafmark Dance Theater for their Creative Arts Center, a project that provides youth with vital opportunities in education, the arts, and personal growth. Click here to read the full story.
FURCHAK FERKO GRANT NOW OPEN!
EWF is now accepting applications for up to $30,000 in support of projects that empower women and families in Erie County Deadline to apply is Thursday, October 9 Visit their RFP for more!
LGBT GRANT: NOW OPEN!
Applications are now open for the 2025 LGBT Fund grant cycle! The LGBT Fund values inclusivity in both the projects they support and the people who create them. This year, applicants can request up to $10,000 for projects that address the diverse needs of the LGBTQ+ community such as safe schools, youth homelessness, mental health and suicide prevention, health and wellness, housing and workplace equality, and family support Click here to review eligibility and please share with organizations or individuals who may be interested!
EWF Grants Committee members pictured with Dafmark staff at the reception.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
David M Tullio, Board Chair
Thomas A Tupitza, Esq., Vice Chair
James R Walczak, Esq , Secretary
Marcus S Atkinson
Lauren Bauer, CIMA®, CPFA™
Kathleen Brugger, CPA
Annē L. DiPillo
William M Hilbert Jr
Charles G Knight III, CPA
Sarah Hagen McWilliams
Timothy NeCastro
Robin Scheppner
Karinna Vernaza, Ph D
The Erie Community Foundation
459 West 6th Street
Erie, PA 16507
Phone: 814 454 0843 ErieCommunityFoundation
S
T
C A L E N D A R O F E V E N
OCT
Wed., Oct. 1 NPP “Beyond the Day” Turning Erie Gives Donors into Lifelong Supporters
Thurs., Oct. 9 EWF Furchak Ferko Grant Cycle Closes
Wed., Oct. 13 Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples’ Day Offices Open
Wed., Oct. 15
Helping Today Grant Cycle Closes
Tues. & Wed., Oct. 28 & 29 NPP Keystone Nonprofit Conference
Fri., Oct. 31 LGBT Grant Cycle Closes
NOV
Tues., Nov. 11
Wed., Nov. 12 Veteran’s Day Offices Closed Regional Affiliate Summit