Match Magic Grant Program

The Match Magic: Cobb’s Holiday Giveathon is a fundraising campaign administered by the Cobb Community Foundation (CCF), a private organization focused on activating community impact by supporting nonprofits that improve the quality of life in Cobb County, Georgia. The foundation mobilizes people, ideas, and resources, with a particular emphasis on strengthening nonprofit fundraising capacity. This grant program is part of CCF’s annual initiative to elevate year-end giving, capitalizing on the momentum and generosity of the holiday season, including Giving Tuesday and Georgia Gives Day. The Match Magic program supports 20 to 30 nonprofit organizations based in or serving Cobb County by providing visibility, technical support, and a pool of matching funds. In 2025, CCF has set a goal to raise $200,000 in match funds. Donations made during the campaign period—from November 11 through December 2—are tax-deductible and unrestricted, allowing nonprofits to allocate funds toward general operations or specific projects. In order to be eligible for matching dollars, organizations must raise at least $10,000 during the campaign. Matching funds are allocated proportionally based on fundraising performance, with no more than 10% of the total match pool awarded to any single organization. Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria. Eligible applicants include organizations or their fiscal sponsors classified as 501(c)(3) nonprofits by the IRS and registered with the Georgia Secretary of State. These organizations must either be located in Cobb County or provide services to its residents. Additional eligibility includes district-wide school programs, individual schools with their own EIN, government entities using funds for charitable purposes, and faith-based organizations engaging in non-proselytizing activities. Only one application per EIN will be accepted. Participation is not passive. CCF requires all selected organizations to actively promote the campaign through email, mail, and social media outreach. Peer-to-peer fundraising is strongly encouraged. To support this, CCF will provide a Nonprofit Toolkit with customizable promotional materials. Participants also benefit from a wide-reaching promotional push that includes a dedicated online donation portal, printed campaign guides, paid advertising, and social media coverage. CCF will also distribute donor information to nonprofits after the campaign, unless the donor has opted to remain anonymous. Applications open on July 9, 2025, and close on July 30 at 5:00 PM. A virtual informational session will be held on the same day applications open, and additional storytelling training opportunities will be provided throughout July. Selected participants will be notified on August 29. A mandatory virtual training session will take place on September 10, and the donation portal will go live on November 11. Donations must be received by CCF by 5:00 PM on December 2 to qualify for matching. The final match allocation will be announced on December 4, and all funds will be disbursed via ACH in mid-December. For reporting, no formal documentation is required. Instead, CCF asks grantees to share updates and images on social media using the hashtag #CobbMatchMagic and to tag CCF’s social accounts. Organizations are also asked to email impact stories and photos to lisa-ruth@cobbfoundation.org. Additional questions about the program can be directed to Lisa-Ruth at the same email.

Attend the storytelling workshop to get professional advice on narrative development. Be intentional with your wording, use high-quality and relevant photos, and clearly articulate your community impact and the need for additional funding.