HANCOCK — For the third year, Portage Health Foundation will raise money for local charities through its participation in Giving Tuesday.

In its Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is program, PHF will match up to $100,000 total in donations made to local non-profits on Giving Tuesday, which will take place this year on Dec. 3. The day, held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is intended as an altruistic alternative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday heading into the holiday season.

“We started doing this a couple of years ago because we wanted to engage our community, get people excited about our non-profits,” said Michael Babcock, marketing and communications coordinator for the Portage Health Foundation.

To be eligible for donations, interested non-profits must apply by 3:30 p.m. Friday. The five-question application can be can found at giving-tuesday-2019-phf.paperform.com.

In the past two years, PHF has raised more than $275,000 for non-profits in the four-county area. Last year, money went to 11 organizations.

Portage Health Foundation is looking to get even more non-profits interested this year.

“It’s a good way not just to raise money, but to let people know what your story is,” Babcock said.

The event was a helpful one to U.P. Kids in Houghton. The money went towards the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, where it helped pay for assessment and support time for matching children with volunteers, said U.P. Kids Executive Director Mark Lambert.

“It’s a huge impact,” he said. “It took $12,000 and made it into $24,000. That’s big. It certainly helps us pay the bills.”

To be eligible, organizations must: be a charitable 501(c)(3); have up-to-date financial reports, not be a religious or educational institution; and have a mission related to Portage Health Foundation’s Five Pillars of Emphasis (health education, health research, community health, healthcare leaders and access to care) or raise funds for a specific project related to them.