‘You have made a difference.’ Centre Gives 2026 breaks another fundraising record

Centre Gives 2026 has drawn to a close, breaking another fundraising record and surpassing $3 million in total community impact for the first time in the event’s history.

The 36-hour annual online fundraising event, held Wednesday and Thursday and organized by the Centre Foundation, raised $3.08 million for more than 230 Centre County nonprofits. The total came from 18,330 total gifts, along with prizes and stretch pools, surpassing the $2.84 million raised last year.

Since its launch in 2012, Centre Gives has generated more than $25.5 million for local nonprofits. The event has also broken its own fundraising record every year since its inception.

“This year, you rose to the challenge again, and it was your support that made Centre Gives 2026 a tremendous success,” a Centre Foundation Facebook post reads. “More than 200 local organizations serving our community in the areas of arts, animals, education, environment and health and social services will benefit from your generosity.”

This year, four nonprofits out of the five highest earners surpassed $100,000 in donations. The top five includes Centre County PAWS ($128,356), Centre Volunteers in Medicine ($119,682), Schlow Library Foundation ($111,807), State College Food Bank ($110,945) and ClearWater Conservancy ($76,553).

Additionally, six nonprofits broke the $50,000 mark, 16 nonprofits raised over $25,000 and 32 nonprofits raised more than $10,000.

Donations made during the fundraiser went further with a $500,000 stretch pool provided by the Centre Foundation and the Hamer Foundation, although the stretch pool funds have yet to be applied to the nonprofits’ donation totals. Organizations also competed for around $40,000 in additional prizes during “power hours” and time-sensitive challenges.

“I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your generosity,” Centre Helps Director Denise McCann said in a thank you video Thursday evening. Centre Helps raised $8,895 from 70 unique donors.

She continued, “I know the way that we express thanks can often sound cheesy or cliché, but I want you to know that I really do mean it when I say that you have made a difference. You have supported us in making sure a child is fed, a teenager feels supported on a lifeline or a family stays in their home. Our community is richer for everyone because of your generosity.”

Other nonprofits — large and small — have expressed gratitude for the generosity of the community and shared their plans for the money. That includes the Lemont Village Association board, which shared in an email Friday that their organization raised a record $5,295 (from 35 unique donors), and that the donations would be going toward either the renovation of the village’s dinky shed, or the steps along Mt. Nittany Road “to provide safe walking for hikers and visitors.”

For more information on Centre Gives 2026, or to see what each nonprofit received, visit centregives.org.