The polls are closed and votes have been tallied in the 2016 CultureMap Fort Worth Charity Challenge presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty. Manna Worldwide has emerged victorious to become our charity partner for 2016. The nonprofit earned nearly 40 percent of the more than 3,000 votes cast.

Eight deserving organizations — including The Art Station, Gill Children's Services, Humane Society of North Texas, James L. West Alzheimer's Center, Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County, Samaritan House, and The Women's Center — battled it out in the inaugural competition. The prize? A CultureMap advertising package worth $10,000.

With a mission of rescuing children from the grip of poverty, Fort Worth-based Manna Worldwide operates across the globe, aiding children in 39 countries. The organization is fueled by a desire to fight disease, poverty, illiteracy, and spiritual emptiness, and supports several programs to meet the needs of the world’s children.

Manna’s Water for Life program provides clean water to those who would otherwise go without it, and Manna Freedom focuses on fighting human trafficking around the world.

Current projects include a nutrition center in Lebanon to support Syrian refugees, a medical project in Russia, an orphanage in Guatemala, schools in Honduras and the Philippines, and many more.

Manna sponsors trips each year in partnership with local churches to provide assistance to its projects, while giving travelers of all ages a taste of what life is like for those less fortunate around the world.

"We are extremely excited to have won, and glad our efforts paid off," says a Manna Worldwide spokesperson. "The campaign actually got us in front of a lot of new people just from all the sharing, so we were happy just to participate."

For more information about how you can help Manna Worldwide, visit the website.