Families team up to support BBBS at the 2019 Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraiser. Photo courtesy of Andrew Estey Photography.
For the first time in two years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath and Brunswick will host its biggest fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake, at Yankee Lanes in Brunswick on Saturday, April 9.
Lindsay MacDonald, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said this event has raised up to $85,000 in the past. Being one of the organization’s most lucrative fundraisers, it caused concern when they had to cancel the event — which had been occurring annually since 1996 — in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.
COVID-19 hit the nonprofit hard with “a substantial loss of $100,000 or 36% of our budget due to unforeseen COVID-19-forced changes in fundraising events, particularly the agency’s biggest event, Bowl For Kids’ Sake,” according to its annual report.
Big Brothers Big Sisters was able to bounce back thanks in large part to a $5,000 matching challenge grant from local real estate developer Jim Howard, which became a $25,000 match thanks to several other businesses and community members. The agency managed to take in $56,000, enough to make sure it stayed fiscally healthy.
Big Brothers Big Sisters were not alone in their concerns over raising funds during a pandemic. In a March 2021 survey by the Maine Association of Nonprofits, several organizations expressed their fundraising fears during the pandemic.
The results showed that 73% were concerned about coming up with a safe event format and still reaching their fundraising goals, while 47% worried how staff and volunteers would adapt to new tools and protocols.
“Fortunately, both years, our organization was the recipient of matching gifts that allowed us to grow in the area of private donations and personal giving, with many gifts coming from businesses, organizations and individuals. We were recipients of a (Paycheck Protection Program) support both years,” said MacDonald.
Paycheck Protection Program loans are federal loans issued to help businesses and nonprofits make it through the pandemic financially.
While restrictions were placed on indoor events during the pandemic, Big Brothers Big Sisters was able to continue fundraising with outdoor events.
A crew from Androscoggin Savings Bank poses at the 2019 Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraiser. Photo courtesy of Andrew Estey Photography.
“We were still able to host our Big Swing Golf Tournament in September of 2020, outdoors and with safety measures in place,” MacDonald said. “Our Empower Potential Celebration and Awards were done virtually in 2020 and in-person in 2021. All of this took effort and commitment from our staff, volunteer board and committees, but kept our organization in a healthy financial position during such uncertain times.”
MacDonald said she is hopeful now that restrictions are lifting and businesses are reopening. She also said she looks forward to working with the youth of her communities, now that schools have resumed in-person education.
“As businesses and community events become more available – we are eager and cautiously optimistic to participate. Fundraising aside, our greatest hopes for the future are with our school partners and students,” she said. “We are hopeful that by the next academic year, schools will be positioned to welcome volunteers in, and the wonderful administrators, counselors and teachers we work with, will have the bandwidth to partner with us to serve a greater number of youth.”
MacDonald said there is still space and time for Lane Sponsors to support the event, at a donation of $300. Despite team sign-ups being lower than previous years, BBBS has already reached 60% of their $50,000 goal.
“Sponsorships have been a high point for us this year with a record number of sponsors participating so far – this is very exciting,” MacDonald said.
In 2020, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick served 157 youth aged 6-18 through its programs and with the help of an equal number of volunteers. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, the organization provided in-school mentoring in elementary and middle schools, according to its annual report, and about 8,500 hours of volunteer service were completed through its programs.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake bowling times are two hours long, starting at 10 a.m. and continuing through 6 p.m. Register online at bbbsbathbrunswick.org or by calling (207) 729-7736.
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