For 31 Cobb County nonprofits, the holiday season will bring more than an opportunity to receive donations. It will offer a chance to introduce their work to new audiences, sharpen their fundraising skills and build relationships that can continue long after the holidays.
Cobb Community Foundation has selected 31 nonprofits to participate in its 2026 Match Magic: Cobb’s Holiday Giveathon, the largest class in the program’s four-year history. The organizations were selected from a record 70 applicants and will run their own fundraising campaigns from Nov. 10 through Dec. 1, with donations potentially increased through a shared Match Pool.
Match Magic is designed to be more than a three-week fundraiser. The program gives participating nonprofits the tools and training to tell their stories, reach new donors and develop fundraising practices they can continue using after the campaign ends.
The initiative began in 2023 as the Cobb Thrives Gift Guide, a print and online catalog highlighting specific year-end needs from 30 local nonprofits. After raising $71,000 in its first year, Cobb Community Foundation saw an opportunity to build something that could strengthen nonprofits as well as generate donations.
In 2024, the foundation turned the idea into Match Magic, giving participating organizations their own fundraising pages and providing storytelling instruction, coaching, communications materials, donor information and coordinated media support.
The approach has continued to grow. In 2024, 25 participating organizations raised more than $703,000. The following year, 27 organizations raised nearly $1.6 million, with matching funds bringing the total to more than $1.7 million.
But the foundation measures the program’s success in more than dollars. In 2025, 93 percent of participating nonprofits reported gaining new donors, while 89 percent reached a new audience and 78 percent received larger gifts from existing supporters.
“The numbers are extraordinary, but the real magic is what remains after the campaign ends,” said Shari Martin, president and CEO of Cobb Community Foundation. “Nonprofits leave with clearer stories, practical tools they can use again and new and more people who understand and care about their work.”
That focus on long-term growth is built into the program. Nonprofits can reuse their campaign plans, photographs, email templates and social media content for future fundraising efforts and grant applications. The foundation also hopes first-time donors will become recurring supporters, volunteers or advocates.
Getting into the program is competitive. Trained local leaders review applications based on eligibility including, service to Cobb residents, the organization’s story, fundraising plan and readiness to participate. The reviewers then meet to discuss the applications before making the final selections.
This year’s participants represent a wide range of organizations serving Cobb County.
They include the Atlanta Humane Society & Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in animal-related services; Friends of The Strand Inc./Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre and Georgia Symphony Orchestra in arts, culture and humanities; and seven organizations focused on basic needs, including 10 Women of Hope, Cobb Moms Helping Cobb, Family Life Restoration Center Inc, HOPE Family Resource Center, Simple Needs GA, Tillman House Resource Center at First United Methodist Church of Smyrna and The Salvation Army Metro Atlanta Area Command.
The economic mobility category includes Circles Cobb Inc., CobbWorks Inc. and St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. Food security organizations include BackPack Blessings Inc., Encompass Ministries Inc. and PORCH Marietta.
Five organizations make up health care and mental wellness, including Aloha To Aging Inc., Cumberland Counseling Centers, HHH Equine Inc., The Extension, and Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb Inc. The housing category includes Family Promise of Cobb County and Emmanuel’s Village by Passion with Purpose Inc.
The remaining categories are public and societal benefit, featuring Blue Thanksgiving and Chattahoochee National Parks Conservancy; tailored support, including Georgia Kids Belong, LiveSafe Resources Inc., Special Needs Cobb and Waymark; and youth development, represented by Four Corners Group Inc. and Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading and Serving Inc.
The 2026 Match Magic campaign opens Nov. 10 and runs through 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, GivingTuesday and GA Gives Day. The Match Pool has reached $160,000 toward a $250,000 goal, providing another opportunity for community members to amplify their giving.
For the participating nonprofits, the goal is ultimately bigger than a successful holiday fundraiser: It is to leave the campaign with stronger stories, new supporters and fundraising skills they can carry into the next year.
