The Bonebrake Center of Nature and History and the Master's Peace Clinic of Hope in Salem are participating in the first-ever Give Ozarks 24-hour online day of giving May 5.
These nonprofit agencies will work to raise online donations all day long, from midnight to midnight, on May 5 at giveozarks.org.
The project for the Bonebrake Center is to raise money for the SPRUCE UP campaign, completing some sorely needed repairs to the exterior of the house.
The Bonebrake Center headquarters, a Victorian house built in 1880, has issues with dry rot, leaking, squirrel damage, and needs a primer and paint job, says Executive Director Libby Sanders.
“Because of her majestic height and steep roof pitch, repairs and painting will be expensive,” says Sanders. “Our goal is to raise $10,000 to do it right. If everyone who has ever visited the Bonebrake Center would give $1, we could more than triple that goal. More than that could help us get started on the upstairs apartment for use by college interns. Win-win. They get a place to live, and we get their expertise and labor for 8-16 weeks required by their college for on-site field experience.”
The building houses an office and resource library, and serves as a staging area and public venue for many activities at the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History. Tourists, as well as area residents, come to the Bonebrake Center each year to walk the trails, visit the house and cabin, and participate in educational and historical activities.
The Master's Peace Clinic of Hope is raising money for daily operating costs to support the free health clinic that will serve the Dent County area.
By participating in this fundraiser event, both organizations will be eligible for a number of prizes based on their success raising funds, and also the overall number of supporters who make online donations on May 5.
The Bonebrake Center will host an open house from 8 a.m. to midnight on May 5 to accept onsite donations for either organization, and to show people how they can donate online if they need help. Visitors are also welcome to come be a part of this fun and exciting event that should help two deserving organizations serving the Salem area.
“Leave a local legacy through your funds,” says Sanders. “Help us SPRUCE UP the majestic lady [the Bonebrake house] for the next generation. If all 186 businesses who belong to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce would donate just $25, we could instantly raise $4,650 toward our goal.”
Making a secure donation is simple. On May 5, donors can log onto giveozarks.org and search for the Bonebrake Center and/or the Master's Peace Clinic of Hope to complete a basic credit-card donation. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS.
May 5 is Give Local America Day, when community foundations across the country will be holding similar online fundraising events to boost resources for their local nonprofits, encourage new donors and raise awareness of philanthropy in general. Online giving days, a growing movement in the philanthropy field, have raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations over the past six years.
The Bonebrake Center of Nature and History and the Master's Peace Clinic of Hope are affiliates of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, which is hosting Give Ozarks with presenting sponsor BKD Wealth Advisors and platinum sponsors: The Musgrave Foundation, The Commerce Trust Co./Coover Charitable Foundation and Ron and Janice Penney. The CFO is a regional public charitable foundation, founded in 1973, which includes 45 affiliate foundations and nearly 600 nonprofit partners and schools.
If you have questions, contact Libby Sanders at the Bonebrake Center at 729-3400, bonebrakecenter@embarqmail.com, or visit www.bonebrake.org; contact Kim Kemnitzer at the Master’s Peace Clinic of Hope at 247-7073, kim@mpcoh.org, or visit www.mpcoh.org. Also, both organizations can be found on Facebook. Additional information about Give Ozarks Day and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is available from Louise Knauer, lknauer@cfozarks.org or Matt Lemmon, mlemmon@cfozarks.org.
