Rosecrance Tournament Nearly Triples Fundraising Total
The second annual Paddle for a Purpose event and the Center for Sight and Hearing's Dining in the Dark both reported fundraising gains in Rockford.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The Rosecrance Foundation's second annual Paddle for a Purpose table tennis tournament at the Sports Factory on Thursday nearly tripled its fundraising total and roughly doubled its participants from the previous year. Separately, the Center for Sight and Hearing's 14th annual Dining in the Dark fundraiser at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center also saw fundraising rise compared with last year.
Why it matters
Both events come as higher expenses are changing how some Rockford-area fundraisers are organized, with organizers seeking donated goods and services to reduce costs. The results offer a local snapshot of a broader national pattern in which charitable dollars rose while the number of donors fell.
Rosecrance's Paddle for a Purpose nearly tripled its fundraising total and roughly doubled its participants versus last year, according to organizers. Nationally, charitable giving rose an estimated 6.6% in the first half of 2026 while donor counts fell 1.6%, and exact event dollar totals were not reported.
The players
Rosecrance Foundation
Rosecrance is a Rockford-based nonprofit behavioral health and addiction treatment organization that also runs veterans housing programs.
Center for Sight and Hearing
The Center for Sight and Hearing is a Rockford-area nonprofit that provides vision and hearing services and serves more than 12,000 people annually.
The details
At the Sports Factory, the Rosecrance Foundation's table tennis tournament raised proceeds to fund a therapeutic outdoor patio at its Veterans Transitional Housing Building in Rockford. At the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, guests of the Center for Sight and Hearing's Dining in the Dark fundraiser ate while blindfolded, and the event potentially reached record attendance.
Timeline
Thursday (week of November 13, 2026): Rosecrance holds its second annual Paddle for a Purpose tournament.
First half of 2026: National charitable giving rises an estimated 6.6% while donors decline 1.6%.
Market Landscape
Rockford's two fundraisers mirror a national pattern in which charitable giving rose an estimated 6.6% in the first half of 2026 even as donors fell 1.6%, suggesting a smaller pool of supporters is giving more. Organizers are responding by soliciting in-kind donations to offset rising costs, a shift that may define how regional nonprofits compete for shrinking donor attention.
Donors looking to support local causes may find that nonprofits increasingly rely on donated goods and services, creating opportunities for businesses to contribute. Residents interested in the Rosecrance and Center for Sight and Hearing programs can support them through future fundraisers or direct giving.
The takeaway
Local fundraising success this year reflects a broader national shift toward fewer but more generous donors, so organizations that broaden participation and reduce costs through in-kind support may be best positioned to sustain their programs.
Further reading
For more local giving coverage, see our Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rockfordnewsfirst.
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