MONTEREY COUNTY — As the season of gratitude and giving unfolds, Monterey County residents have an opportunity to make an important difference.
The annual Monterey County Gives! (MC Gives!) year-end giving campaign, open Nov. 13 through Dec. 31, offers the chance for individuals and businesses to amplify their year-end contributions and support 213 local nonprofits working to strengthen the communities.
“Many of the 213 participating nonprofits benefit Southern Monterey County and the Salinas Valley,” according to Amanda Holder, director of communications for the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC).
Participating nonprofits span five key areas: Animals; Arts & Culture; Community & Social Services; Education & Youth; Environment & Sustainability; and Health, Wellness & Food. Every gift made through the campaign receives a partial match — up to the first $75,000 raised by each participating organization — thanks to a matching fund supported by local individuals, foundations and businesses.
Gifts can be made securely online at MontereyCountyGives.com, including gifts of appreciated stock or IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) — providing flexible and tax-wise ways to give to multiple nonprofits through a single contribution.
The impact of MC Gives! continues to grow. In 2024, the campaign raised $14.2 million from more than 8,000 donors. Since its inception in 2009, it has granted over $82 million to hundreds of nonprofits across Monterey County.
MC Gives! is a collaborative effort of the CFMC, Monterey County Weekly and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.
Donors to the matching fund provide vital support and include: Taylor Farms, Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel, Post Ranch Inn, Colburn and Alana Jones Foundation of the CFMC, David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Cannery Row Company, Cort Companies, Harden Foundation, Montage Health and two anonymous donors.
To learn more about the 2025 campaign or to make a gift, visit MontereyCountyGives.com or call the CFMC at 831-375-9712.
