About Us

Meet the team behind GivingEdge & Big Day of Giving

At the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, we're all about building a stronger, more generous community.

We care about fostering the giving spirit in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties, so we designed this website — GivingEdge — to make it easy for generous people to discover local nonprofits. And we coordinate the region's annual giving day — Big Day of Giving — to celebrate the important work they do and the supporters, like you, who make it possible!

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The pace of change in our community is swift. To ensure that everyone who lives, works, and plays in the Sacramento region has the opportunity to flourish, our social sector must be robust — and robustly supported. That's where we come in.

Big Day of Giving: Our community's day-long celebration of local giving.

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 over $100 million through the region-wide, community-driven effort.
In 2024, 826 organizations generated $13.2 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 1, 2025! 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!

GivingEdge: The knowledge-base that powers Big Day of Giving.

"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, 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.

We 💛 the Sacramento region and all of its dynamic, diverse communities.

At the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, we work in partnership with our donors and community partners to make it more equitable and vibrant — through efforts like GivingEdge and Big Day of Giving as well as the philanthropic services we provide to make giving easy and effective for individuals, families, and businesses who care.

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There's more to our work than Big Day of Giving!

Our philanthropic services make it easy for generous people like you to maximize your impact, help your neighbors, and leave a legacy of good. Support causes you care about easily and effectively, immediately or through your estate.

Think of it as the better way to open a private foundation: You establish a charitable fund with us (or our partner, Yolo Community Foundation) and then make grants from your personalized funds to support the causes you love or offer scholarships to students pursuing higher education. Opening a charitable fund at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation is as simple as:

1. Give

From the list below, choose the charitable fund that matches your philanthropic goals and make a gift to open your personalized fund.

2. Grow

Your charitable fund grows through sound investments, enabling you to make a greater immediate and long-term impact.

3. Grant

Direct grants from your charitable fund to the causes that matter to you and your loved ones. Our team manages the legwork.

What Fund Is Right For You?

The number one option for donors who value freedom, flexibility, and who plan to give to multiple organizations and programs throughout the year, a Donor Advised Fund offers a hands-on approach to philanthropy.

When you open a charitable fund with us, you become a partner in our community leadership initiatives — including GivingEdge and Big Day of Giving! If you'd like to learn more about how we can help facilitate your philanthropic giving, please visit our website.

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Our Team

We aren't shy about it: There's a great group of people behind this effort, including the Board of Directors and staff of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

Foundation Board of Directors

Garry Maisel, Western Health Advantage, Chair
Angela DePaoli, Bargas Environmental Consulting, Vice-Chair
Jonathan Lederer, U.S. Bank, Treasurer
Matthew Jacobs, CalPERS, Secretary
Kwame Anku, Black Star Fund
Janine Bera, WellSpace Health
Gordon Fowler, 3fold Communications
Bret Hewitt, Yolo Community Foundation
Kathy McKim, Hawksbill Group, Immediate Past Chair
Vince Sales, Everyday Impact Consulting
Scott Syphax, Syphax Strategic Solutions
Renee Nunes Taylor, Community Leader
Kate Stille, Nugget Markets, Inc.
Steven Weiss, The Weiss Group
Kate Willcox, Boutin Jones, Inc.

Foundation Staff

Kerry Wood, Chief Executive Officer
Niva Flor, Chief Impact Officer
Kelly Siefkin, Chief Philanthropy Officer
Naomi Wilson, Chief Financial Officer
Amy E. Brown, Community Impact Program Manager
Tina Bryce, Director of Grants & Scholarships
Vasey Coman, Director of Communications
Alondra Correa, Program Assistant
Chelsea Fahr, Senior Director of Philanthropy
Yolanda Gaffney, Associate Director of Philanthropy
Cynthia Gudeman, Senior Accountant
Monica Haulman, Associate Director of Programs
Rosita Patterson, Grants Associate
Maria Patrick, Senior Accountant
Katie Poplawski, Controller
Brigid Powers, Philanthropy Coordinator
Jasmine Ripoyla, Communications Coordinator
Anthony Taula-Lieras, Community Impact Director
Regina Van Zant, Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO

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Contact Us

Have questions about Big Day of Giving, GivingEdge, opening a personalized charitable fund, or making charitable giving a part of your estate planning? Please connect with your team of local philanthropic experts at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. We are always happy to assist!

Learn More

About Us

Meet the team behind GivingEdge & Big Day of Giving

At the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, we're all about building a stronger, more generous community.

About Us

Meet the team behind GivingEdge & Big Day of Giving

At the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, we're all about building a stronger, more generous community.

The pace of change in our community is swift. To ensure that everyone who lives, works, and plays in the Sacramento region has the opportunity to flourish, our social sector must be robust — and robustly supported. That's where we come in.

The pace of change in our community is swift. To ensure that everyone who lives, works, and plays in the Sacramento region has the opportunity to flourish, our social sector must be robust — and robustly supported. That's where we come in.

We 💛 the Sacramento region and all of its dynamic, diverse communities.

We 💛 the Sacramento region and all of its dynamic, diverse communities.

There's more to our work than Big Day of Giving!

Our philanthropic services make it easy for generous people like you to maximize your impact, help your neighbors, and leave a legacy of good. Support causes you care about easily and effectively, immediately or through your estate.

There's more to our work than Big Day of Giving!

Our philanthropic services make it easy for generous people like you to maximize your impact, help your neighbors, and leave a legacy of good. Support causes you care about easily and effectively, immediately or through your estate.

1. Give

1. Give

2. Grow

2. Grow

3. Grant

3. Grant

What Fund Is Right For You?

Our Team

Our Team

Contact Us

Contact Us

How can we help?

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