By Mark Woolsey
The 2026 edition of the Cobb Community Foundation’s Match Magic holiday season appeal is underway, with the CCF hoping 31 participating nonprofits will be able to hit a multi-million dollar goal this year.
And this year, CCF President and CEO Shari Martin says nonprofit members have been coached on fundraising techniques and each agency will beat the bushes from the Nov. 10 kickoff until the Dec. 1 wrap-up. Then each will get a proportional share of money from a match pool based on the amount they’ve raised.
The pool from various donors already amounts to $180,000 and the CCF is working toward a $200,000 goal.
Donations have grown rapidly year-to-year. The participating groups raised $1.7 million last year for 27 nonprofits and $800,000 the year before that.
“The results just blew us away,” said Martin, speaking to the Courier.
She says they hope for more this year spurred on by a number of factors, not the least of which is rising prices for gas, groceries and other consumer products.
“We know that one out of three households in Cobb County are unable to make ends meet,” said Martin, “and there’s also less giving this year.”
The nonprofits taking part serve a variety of needs from basic food and shelter to housing to food security to healthcare to economic mobility to arts, culture and amenities needs.
Two things are distinguishing this year from prior editions. One is a pep-rally-style kickoff that took place Tuesday morning, with a one-hour initial online fundraising among the various groups, with the agency raising the most money grabbing a $2,500 prize.