Give BIG San Bernardino County Raises $271,044 for Nonprofits

SAN BERNARDINO>> Organizers were excited to announce that Give BIG San Bernardino County raised $271,044 for local nonprofits, surpassing last year’s $241,217 total. Benefiting organizations with a range of missions including providing education to young parents, cultivating young philanthropists, connecting veterans to vital resources, caring for homeless animals, Give BIG San Bernardino County has raised more than $1 million since it began in 2014. "Once again I'm so proud our community gave BIG and demonstrated their generosity and compassion by supporting the causes and charities closest to their hearts," said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman James Ramos. "I'm also proud of our local nonprofits for participating in Give BIG and finding new, exciting ways to attract donors and promote a culture of philanthropy throughout this county." Dr. Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba, President and CEO of The Community Foundation, said San Bernardino county came together, in one day, to raise funds and awareness of our local nonprofits. "Through the support of the County of San Bernardino and all of our other wonderful sponsors, community partners, and volunteers, Give BIG San Bernardino County was a success," Yorba said. The 24-hour online giving campaign raised $271,044 for 101 participating nonprofits. Both the number of donations made of 4,195, and number of unique donors giving to the campaign of 3,332, increased about 13 percent over last year. In addition to raising funds, other goals of the campaign included increasing awareness of the nonprofit sector, strengthening nonprofits with training in social media and engaging new and younger donors. In-person training sessions and webinars were provided to participating nonprofits in the months leading up to Give BIG. The webinars were taped and now reside in a library accessible to the nonprofits' staff and board. Sessions focused on training in social media and marketing, and also included more advanced training, such as donor cultivation. Several partners in Big Bear, the Morongo Basin, West End, East Valley and the High Desert assisted The Community Foundation and served as liaisons for nonprofits in their regions. “Your kindness in helping people served by the nonprofit community in San Bernardino county has been truly amazing,” said Andrea Mitchel, consultant to Give BIG San Bernardino County. "Yet beyond the money raised, I am truly grateful for the exposure of the good work being done by our local nonprofits.