Sacramento region’s Big Day of Giving is here. What to know before donating

Sacramento’s 10th annual Big Day of Giving — an online fundraiser for the region’s nonprofits — is Thursday, May 5.

Hosted by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the 24-hour charity drive aims to grow local philanthropy and shed light on lesser known agencies in the area. In 2021, nonprofits raised nearly $13.3 million, setting a new record for the event.

And for this year’s giving day, a record-breaking total of 719 organizations are participating in the online fundraiser, according to the event website.

Here are some tips on how to donate and which organizations are accepting donations for the 2022 Big Day of Giving.

Who to give to?

For those unsure who to donate to, the website has a search feature for all participating nonprofits that serve El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties.

The search option allows people to filter organizations by mission category, location, budget size and demographic served, among other parameters.

How and when to donate?

The community foundation will be accepting donations directly through its Big Day of Giving website,where you can donate to multiple organizations in one transaction. You can also donate directly to the participating nonprofits, which later report their donation amounts to the foundation.

“We want to try to capture the impact of the campaign as a whole,” said Vasey Coman, a foundation spokeswoman. “We find the majority of gifts come on the Big Day because it’s most fun that day.”

The drive begins at midnight on May 5 and ends at 11:59 p.m. the same day. For those wanting to donate before Thursday, there is an option to schedule donation gifts ahead of time on the website.

The minimum donation amount is $15, and most major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted. For checks, donors should contact the nonprofit recipients directly.

What’s special about Big Day of Giving?

While the foundation encourages people to give every day, donating on Big Day of Giving comes with some unique donation benefits, Coman said.

Lead sponsor of the event, Western Health Advantage, has contributed a prize pool of $100,000. From this amount, the foundation will be tacking on anywhere from $50 to $750 to random donations throughout the day.

“We hope people give every day, but if you want your donation to go a little further and participate in a community wide event on Giving Day, you can help leverage those match funds and prizes,” Coman said.

Several nonprofit organizations have also partnered with businesses to match funds received throughout the day.

“It’s important we all contribute to making sure the Sacramento region flourishes,” Coman said. “After two difficult years, nonprofits continue to meet the needs that are high in our community.”

This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.