Shore Gives 365 Giving Season Incentives

The Shore Gives 365 Giving Season is designed to help participating nonprofits engage supporters, attract new donors, build recurring giving, and increase visibility throughout the year-end giving season.

From November 1 through December 31, organizations will have multiple opportunities to earn bonus funding through Weekly Spotlight Bonuses, Champion Awards, and the Shore Choice Award. Whether you're expanding your donor base, encouraging recurring support, or creatively promoting your Shore Gives 365 profile, every organization has a chance to participate and compete.

Review the incentive opportunities below and start planning your Giving Season strategy today.

Weekly Spotlight Bonuses

Throughout the month of November, the Community Foundation may award up to eight Spotlight Bonuses to organizations demonstrating outstanding engagement and promotion of Shore Gives 365. We will be watching social media and e-mail for groups posting or e-mailing about their Shore Gives 365 campaign. Hot tip: tag @CFEasternShore in your social posts and add #ShoreGives365 to increase your chances of being seen!

Examples may include:

Exceptional promotion of a Shore Gives 365 profile
Effective use of social media
Creative storytelling
Innovative campaign ideas
Community engagement and visibility

Winners receive $250 and a feature on CFES' social media. Spotlight Bonuses are intentionally flexible and may be awarded at CFES's discretion throughout November.

Giving Season Champion Awards

Three Champion Awards will be announced on December 21, 2026.

New Donor Champion - Awarded to the organization that has acquired the most new donors through Shore Gives 365 during the Giving Season (starting November 1, 2026). On your checkout form, donors are asked if they are a first time donor to your organization. They select 'yes' or 'no'. Their response is recorded and used to tally new donor totals.
Recurring Giving Champion - In the checkout form, donors have the option to make a one-time gift or set up a recurring gift. The Recurring Giving Champion award goes to the organization that secures the most new recurring gifts during the Giving Season (starting November 1, 2026).
Fundraising Champion - Awarded to the organization that raises the most dollars through Shore Gives 365 during the Giving Season (starting November 1, 2026).

Each Champion Award winner will receive a $500 bonus prize and a spotlight on CFES' social media.

Please note: offline donations (added manually) and matching funds do not count towards prizes.

Shore Choice Award

The Shore Choice Award is the featured incentive of the Shore Gives 365 Giving Season.

Organizations earn one point for every unique donor who supports them between November 1 and December 31.

At the conclusion of the Giving Season, bonus funding will be awarded to the organizations with the highest point totals.

1st Place Shore Choice Award - $5,000
2nd Place Shore Choice Award - $2,500
3rd Place Shore Choice Award - $1,500

Winners will be announced in January 2027.

Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the Shore Gives 365 Giving Season campaign, organizations must meet the following requirements:

Be a registered nonprofit organization with an active profile on shoregives365.org by November 1, 2026.
Be "Shore Gives Ready"
- Log into your Shore Gives 365 account.
- Update any outdated or incorrect content on your profile page.
- Add some compelling details about your needs this giving season and the impact you're making all year long!
Each eligible nonprofit has the chance to win one prize in each of the three prize categories.

Disclaimer

CFES reserves the right to modify, update, or terminate any aspect of the Shore Gives 365 Giving Season campaign, including but not limited to eligibility criteria, prize fund availability, and challenge timelines, at its sole discretion and without prior notice. Any changes will be communicated through shoregives365.org or official CFES channels.

Contact Information

For questions or additional information regarding the Shore Gives 365 Giving Season campaign, please contact:

Lauren Ansted, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore Phone: (410) 742-9911 Email: LAnsted@cfes.org

Incentive Terms & Conditions

SG365 Giving Season 2026