Sacramento’s Big Day of Giving nets more than $13.5 million on record-setting day
It was, indeed, a big day — and another record.
Sacramento’s Big Day of Giving set a new record for donations Thursday, collecting $13.5 million for hundreds of area nonprofits from across the greater Sacramento region.
The total funds raised, from more than 30,500 donors, went to 855 nonprofit organizations in Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties. The list of recipients represents a broad cross-section of Sacramento regional life from the stage to the street, animal shelters and libraries; caretakers of local lands and those who care for the region’s most vulnerable.
Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and the Salvation Army of Sacramento topped the list of donations raised, collecting more than $976,000 combined to help fund their programs and services.
The Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera raised its highest-ever Big Day of Giving total Thursday with a record $350,149 from more than 100 donors, officials said Friday. The money will go toward programming concerts, its music education initiatives in Sacramento-area schools, and other community outreach.
“This extraordinary show of support reflects not just a love for music, but a deep belief in the power of live performance to inspire, connect, and elevate our community,” said Giuliano Kornberg, CEO of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, in a statement announcing the record-setting effort. “We’re honored to be part of a cultural ecosystem that our region rallies behind so passionately.”
The three were followed closely by Sacramento-based seniors resource ACC Senior Services, and Yolo Food Bank, which raised more than $260,000 through 730 donations on Thursday. The food bank was bracing for some $2 million in funding cuts due to an end to emergency pandemic aid and slashing of federal food assistance programs.
The cuts would represent close to 40% of the food bank’s $5.1 million budget, the organization said in a recent statement. Yolo County ranks among the highest poverty rates in the state, according to the California Poverty Measure. The measure is a joint effort of Public Policy Institute of California and Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality.
“If resources continue to decline, we may have no choice but to reduce the amount of food families receive at our public food distributions,” said Karen Baker, executive director of Yolo Food Bank, in the news release.
Yolo Food Bank officials in April said they hoped to raise $150,000 in donations.
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (1,201), Friends of Front Street Animal Shelter (1,060) and Sacramento SPCA (939) tallied the most donations Thursday, trailed closely by Sacramento public broadcasters KVIE and Capital Public Radio.
The marks eclipsed 2024’s 24-hour total both in dollars and the number of nonprofits helped by the drive. Last year, $13.2 million was raised for 826 area nonprofits during that year’s day-long campaign.
“Once again, our community showed up with heart,” said Kerry Wood, executive director at Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the Sacramento-based philanthropy clearinghouse that organizes the annual drive, in a statement.
“Every gift fuels the vital work of nonprofits that uplift, connect, and strengthen our communities,” Wood said in the statement. “Big Day of Giving is proof that generosity is a powerful force for good — and that, together, we can build a more vibrant and resilient region for all.”
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