At their annual meeting on December 10, 2025, Arras Foundation trustees reviewed the giving totals for the organization’s tenth annual Give Local campaign. A total of $1,512,964.15 was raised by 106 local nonprofit organizations during the 2025 campaign, marking a 109% increase over last year’s record-breaking total.
Between November 14 and December 2 this year, 2,659 donors made 3,803 charitable contributions.
“We are always amazed to see how our community comes together to support one another during Give Local,” said Lisa Bridges, Arras Foundation Board Chair. “Year Ten was no exception. Donations to our community came from all around the world and here at home, showing how our local nonprofit organizations are celebrated for their impact on our quality of life.”
Since its inception in 2016, Give Local has raised over $4.5 million for local nonprofit organizations supporting Chester and Lancaster Counties.
The 2025 Give Local campaign began with a 24-hour giving day blitz on the eve of National Philanthropy Day and concluded on Giving Tuesday. This year’s campaign also featured a “Toast to Ten Years” event at the Arras Foundation, open to the community, with free food and live music by Cleo White & The Identity Band.
The five organizations who topped the Give Local 2025 leaderboard in dollars raised include: Women’s Enrichment Center raising $238,638; Lancaster County Society for Historical Preservation raising $81,283; GRASP raising $72,719; HOPE in Lancaster raising $64,838; and KARE (Kershaw Area Resource Exchange) raising $56,132.
The five organizations who had the highest number of Give Local 2025 donors are: Lancaster SPCA with 192; Seth’s Giving Tree with 146; GRASP with 137; Lancaster County Council of the Arts with 117; and Lancaster Children’s Home with 111.
Among the 106 nonprofit organizations who participated in the Give Local 2025 campaign, 24 agencies have participated in every campaign since Give Local began in 2016. These organizations include: A Father’s Way, Christian Services, Columbus Parker Track Club, Community Playhouse of Lancaster County, Fort Lawn Community Center, Friends of Andrew Jackson State Park, GRASP, Habitat for Humanity of Lancaster County, HOPE in Lancaster County, Katawba Valley Land Trust, Kershaw Area Park Council, Kershaw Area Resource Exchange (KARE), Lancaster Children’s Home, Inc., Lancaster County Community Center (aka Barr Street Community Center), Lancaster County Council on Aging, Lancaster County Council of the Arts, Lancaster County Society of Historical Preservation, Lancaster SPCA, Lindsay Pettus Greenway, Palmetto Citizens Against Sexual Assault, Seth’s Giving Tree, The Children’s Council, Therapeutic Outdoors Occupational Therapy, Women’s Enrichment Center.
Over 75 local businesses, civic groups, churches, and study groups raised matching dollars or contributed financially to Give Local 2025, also a record for the campaign. The following businesses were honored in 2025 at a “Toast to Ten Years” for their 10-year participation: First Citizens Bank, Builders Supply Company, Comporium, Folks & DeVenny LLC, Perception Builders, the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, and the Chester County Chamber of Commerce.
“Give Local makes fundraising easy and impactful! The Arras Foundation handles the heavy lifting, allowing nonprofits sit back and get tons of community exposure and funding for their programs,” said Olivia Hann with KARE (Kershaw Area Resource Exchange). “We’re also grateful for the matching gift opportunities and strong business engagement that make the event even more successful.”
Give Local aims to highlight philanthropy and caring for our neighbors each year. In 2025 — for the 2nd year in a row — students in the Lancaster community had the opportunity to enter an art contest sponsored by the Lancaster County Council of the Arts, highlighting the Give Local theme of caring for one another.
Student artists who were selected to display their winning Give Local art in downtown Lancaster parks include: Noah Baker (Buford Elementary), Alivia Bennett (Heath Springs Elementary), McKenzie Brooks (Homeschool), Egypt Coleman (Heath Springs Elementary), Jackson Dunn (Heath Springs Elementary), Amelia Rae Farmer (Indian Land Elementary), Savannah Gagnon (Homeschool), Will Hudson (Buford Elementary), Lailah Ingram (Heath Springs Elementary), Harlow Kelsey (Buford Elementary), Olivia Miles (Lancaster Christian Academy), Nirvana Nix (Kershaw Elementary), Josiah Reid (Erwin Elementary), Caroline Sharp (Heath Springs Elementary), Molly Anne Shigley (Heath Springs Elementary), Charlie Stewart (North Elementary), Nolan Stroud (Lancaster Christian Academy), Kaylee Thompson (Indian Land Intermediate), Maebrie Timmer (Buford Elementary), Waylon Wuori (Heath Springs Elementary).
One special cause that Give Local supported this year was food insecurity. Through the campaign, the Arras Foundation and the Springs Close Foundation contributed $130,000 to support area food banks and soup kitchens through the Food for Families award. “We are fortunate to have great partnerships in our local foundation community,” said Susan DeVenny, President & CEO of the Arras Foundation. “We were concerned about the pause in SNAP funding and quite proud to come together to fund these critical agencies during this important time.”
Give Local organizations support a wide array of causes in our region throughout the year. During Give Local 2025, each worked diligently to raise money for their mission, using innovative partnerships, strategically timed donations, and taking advantage of incentives from local businesses and civic organizations to match donor gifts. Give Local also provides opportunities for volunteers to be paired with nonprofit organizations in the community each year, allowing residents to share their experience and talent during the holiday season or year-round.
Give Local would not be possible without the support of our business, faith, and civic community, and the unwavering generosity of our friends and neighbors. Thank you for making this year the best campaign yet!
To learn more about the results of Give Local 2025, please visit www.GiveLocalSC.org.
This article was first published in The Lancaster News.
