ANNUAL DAY OF GIVING SET FOR SEPT. 10

September 9, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Get ready to Give for Good! The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, the charitable arm of the Kentucky Derby Festival, is once again participating in Give for Good Louisville, the region’s most generous day of giving. The Foundation will join hundreds of local organizations on Thursday, Sept. 10, for the annual 24-hour giving event. Hosted by the Community Foundation of Louisville, it takes place from midnight to 11:59 p.m. Donations to the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation can be made through the Foundation’s Give For Good Louisville page.

“The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation carries the spirit of the Festival into our community throughout the year,” said Dodie Howlett, Executive Director of the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. “Every gift through Give for Good Louisville supports our programs and helps us inspire younger generations, support local causes and preserve the Festival’s history.”

The Foundation works to further the Derby Festival’s educational and charitable initiatives through a variety of events and programming, including:

• Park Community Credit Union JusticeFest – Jefferson County Public Schools students develop solutions to community-wide issues and present their ideas to community leaders, gaining experience in civic engagement and leadership.
• RoboRumble Regional Robotics Tournament – Hosted by the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation and coordinated by Jefferson County Public Schools, this regional STEM competition challenges students to design, build and compete with robots while developing teamwork, engineering and problem-solving skills.
• The Royal Court Program – Five outstanding college students are selected each year as Derby Festival Princesses based on academic achievement, leadership and commitment to service. As official ambassadors for the Kentucky Derby Festival, the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Princesses receive $1,000 scholarships from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation.
• Race Charity Program – Participants in the Derby Festival Humana miniMarathon and Marathon can turn their race experience into an opportunity to support causes they care about. The program connects runners with charitable organizations and helps raise awareness and funds for local and national causes.
• Fillies Derby Ball Presented by Courtesy Cadillac – A long-standing Derby Festival tradition produced by The Fillies, Inc., the annual Derby Ball features dinner, dancing, live entertainment and the crowning of the Royal Court Queen. A portion of the event’s proceeds benefit the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation.

Since 2014, Give for Good Louisville has raised more than $80 million for local organizations, with more than 600 nonprofits participating this year. For more info about the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, visit KDFFoundation.org.