About Us

Big Day of Giving is the Sacramento region's annual celebration of giving to the causes that matter to local donors' and their loved ones. 

It's been game-changing for local philanthropy:

• Since the first local giving day that we coordinated in 2013, more than 60,000 donors have helped hundreds of nonprofits in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties raise $91 million through the region-wide, community-driven effort. 
• In 2023, 762 organizations generated a record $13.8 million! As in past years, most donations were under $50, demonstrating that, no matter the size of your gifts, we make a big impact when our community gives together.

Mark your calendars for the next Big Day of Giving on Thursday, May 2, 2024! Register to receive a reminder on the Foundation's website.

Though the giving is centered on one day in early May, Big Day of Giving makes an impact year-round. Each year, our team at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation analyzes a mountain of data about Big Day of Giving collected through surveys, focus groups, and this website to gain insights into the region's giving day and all of its components. 

From the data, we can see that Big Day of Giving connects donors to local nonprofits. Further, the giving day connects nonprofits to nonprofits to the community at large: 74% of organizations report their visibility in the community has increased since they began participating, and 76% feel a stronger sense of connection to the local nonprofit sector in that time — in part, because of the opportunities Big Day of Giving offers to help nonprofit staff and volunteers fortify collaborations with their colleagues, deepen their engagement with donors, and strengthen their impact in our community!

"Give smarter to local nonprofits." 

That's the tagline for GivingEdge, this powerful website — a year-round resource for information on local nonprofits and the backbone of the Sacramento region's annual giving day, Big Day of Giving. We built GivingEdge to help everyone in our community discover organizations that match their interests. The profiles included in the searchable database are updated annually and include information on each nonprofit's programs, governance, financial management, impact, and more

GivingEdge makes local philanthropy easier and more effective. Not only does it help donors in our region give "smarter," but it also informs our work at the Foundation to strengthen the nonprofit sector — and the entire Sacramento region. How? Our community’s nonprofit sector is strongest when it is marked by equity and inclusion at all levels. As stewards of the public good, nonprofits in the capital area play an important role in upholding the democratic ideals we all value. So, in addition to helping area donors learn more about local nonprofits, we use data from GivingEdge to better understand the capital region's nonprofit sector and help move it forward.

For example, take the racial and ethnic makeup of governance boards, the highest decision-making bodies at nonprofits. Because nonprofit board members play critical roles in ensuring organizations support equity and inclusion in our community, their boards should aim to mirror our region and the breadth of its diversity — racial and ethnic diversity, and other forms of diversity such as gender, socioeconomic background, and professional expertise. The data we collect on GivingEdge gives us insight into these trends.

To learn more about creating a nonprofit profile on GivingEdge, please visit Nonprofit Resources & FAQ.