Why Give to Imagine Cincinnati?
Because thriving communities begin with people who feel seen, supported, and connected. Every child deserves a place to play, every caregiver deserves a community to lean on, and every family deserves to know they belong. Imagine Cincinnati creates spaces where those connections take root—and where care grows into collective action that makes our neighborhoods stronger. When you give, you're investing not just in programs, but in the relationships, opportunities, and sense of belonging that help families and entire communities flourish.
We aren't just investing in the childhoods of today. We're investing in the kind of communities our children will grow up to shape.
FAQ’s for donors to our first Cincinnati GIVES Challenge:
What benefit is Imagine Cincinnati receiving if I give through this challenge platform?
Individuals will be able to donate money November 30 through December 10 through Cincinnati Magazines online platform https://www.cincinnatigives.org to help us win extra cash prizes from the magazine. Follow our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook, and check your email/texts, to find out what days you can help us most. There are prizes for large organizations, and smaller grassroots organizations like us - the ones who really know the people they serve and who know how to keep costs low!
Cincinnati Magazine provides us with toolkits, training sessions, outreach support, mass media and social media coverage to make it easy for all nonprofits to participate. As a participating organization, Imagine Cincinnati also signed up for a 2-page spread in their print magazine (link coming soon!) and will have an individualized web page to promote our cause. This web page can also be used for year-round online fundraising, and we’ll receive an additional ad in a magazine issued in 2027 - at a price we could never afford otherwise.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
All donations are tax deductible and irrevocable. (Donations will not be refunded.) Donors will receive a receipt from Mightycause for their gift and any monthly recurring gifts set up through the platform will be counted towards our goal and continue to come to us throughout the year.
You’ll also receive a thank you card from Imagine, with a small garden gift from our kids, so be sure to share your mailing address with your gift. (Your info will not be sold/shared or spammed.)
How much of my gift goes to Imagine Cincinnati?
During the Cincinnati Gives Challenge, a Mightycause platform fee of 4% plus a credit card fee of 2.9% + $.30 will be charged on each donation. For donors that give via their bank account, credit card processing fees will be replaced by a 1% transaction fee, plus a $1.50 fixed fee per transaction (total ACH processing fees will be capped at $5.00). By default, donors are opted in to cover the transaction costs for your nonprofit using the donation booster within the checkout flow when they make a donation. They can opt out of covering the fee within the checkout flow as well. When donors cover the fee the nonprofit gets 100% of the intended donation. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. All donations on https://www.cincinnatigives.org are made to the Mightycause Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that permits donors to advise a regranting of their donations to qualified charitable organizations.
What is the fundraising goal for this challenge?
Imagine Cincinnati has several goals in participating in 2026:
To raise awareness of our organization in the city. We’re told this is one of the best benefits for a young, grassroots community like ours. As the city’s most respected and award-winning magazine, Cincinnati Magazine connects us with more than 170,000 readers every month. This is the 11th year for the annual Cincinnati Gives Challenge—having raised over $4.2 million for local nonprofits since its start in 2016.
To build a more sustainable donor base. We want to gather more unrestricted gifts for 2027 and beyond, so we can focus our time on opening the Simons Studio, serving families in need, and creating more spaces for care, connection and belonging. Recurring gifts are most hopeful, even if they are just $15 a month, but one-time gifts of as little as $5 are also very helpful. Every new donor counts toward winning prizes, no matter the amount they give.
To raise $5,000 - $25,000 for 2027. It’s a modest minimum goal for our first year participating. If we can raise $3,700+ then it will be money and time well spent on promoting our programs to more families. If we can raise closer to $25,000 we may win the competition and earn bonuses of $8,000+ from Cincinnati Magazine!
Every gift makes a difference,
and we are grateful for your generosity at any level!
