San Diego Gives, a fundraising program for local San Diego-based nonprofits, takes place Thursday, September 7, with a countywide Day of Giving. New this year, is a Day of Service, Friday, September 8, in partnership with United Way of San Diego County (UWSD). These special days follow a year of robust virtual learning opportunities and one-on-one mentoring for participating nonprofits.

“We are proud to support San Diego Gives in strengthening nonprofits through collective giving, volunteer aid, and learning opportunities,” said Kimberly Koch, Chief Operations Officer for The David C. Copley Foundation. “Strong nonprofits enable our communities to thrive.”

This year, 338 organizations have signed on to participate in the fundraising campaign. Only in its third year, the campaign has almost tripled its nonprofit participants; 120 organizations participated in the program’s inaugural year.

San Diegans can begin giving Thursday, August 17, when early giving opens, through the end of Thursday, September 7, to their favorite charities, which can be filtered by categories, including Animals,  Education, Environment, Military and Humanitarian Aid, and more. There is also an interactive map, which shows giving opportunities by neighborhood and region.

Following the Day of Giving, the Day of Service will offer meaningful and fun volunteer opportunities throughout the County to support participating nonprofits. The deadline to register for volunteer service is Friday, August 25. San Diegans can view volunteer opportunities by visiting uwsd.org/sdgives (a Day of Service interactive map is also available to discover service opportunities by neighborhood).

“Our community-driven Day of Service event has always been a favorite among local nonprofits. It not only provides an opportunity to bring in new volunteers, but also raises awareness for causes that tend to be underrepresented, like food insecurity, education, and environmental consciousness. In partnership with San Diego Gives, we’re excited to continue this annual tradition and take it to new heights for nonprofits in our community that need support every day of the year,” says Nancy L. Sasaki, president and CEO, United Way of San Diego County.

For more than 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has bridged corporate and community partners to address the region’s most critical challenges in education and economic mobility. In partnership with others, its work uses shared goals, innovation, and proven practices to fight for those who cannot, including children, young adults, and families in historically underserved communities.

For 2023, San Diego Gives has some BIG goals:

  • Raise at least $1.5 million for 338 nonprofits.
  • Serve at least 600 unique nonprofit professionals through at least 25 capacity-building workshops.
  • Provide mentoring opportunities to at least 70 nonprofits.
  • Secure at least $75,000 for matched funds and giving day prizes.
  • At least 75% of donors will report that the campaign positively affected their giving.
  • At least 75% of participating nonprofits will report increased learning by the end of the campaign.

Last year, 327 nonprofits participated. The campaign raised $1,088,647 from 3,743 donors, with 33% giving for the first time. San Diego Gives University also launched last year and served 553 unique nonprofit professionals through 28 workshops. In addition, 62 organizations were paired with mentors for ongoing support.

San Diego Gives thoroughly vets participating nonprofits to ensure that each:

  • Demonstrates a commitment to serving the greater San Diego area, responding to the needs of the community with a local-first approach, and making a tangible impact.
  • Serves diverse populations, including but not limited to income, age, race, zip code, and background.
  • Commits to keeping all funds raised in the greater San Diego area and has a proven track record of fiscal responsibility.

“Dr. Bronner’s is committed to advancing positive social and environmental impact in our backyard,” said Trudy Bronner, CFO of Dr. Bronner’s. “We are a proud supporter of San Diego Gives and are impressed with how the program builds the capacity of nonprofits region-wide and strengthens the fabric of our entire community.”

Donors can choose to give to one or more nonprofits through the San Diego Gives platform. It is straightforward to learn about new organizations and their work. There are a diverse range of cause areas, including the arts, animal welfare, the environment, education, health, human services, equity, social justice, and more.

San Diego Gives is an initiative of Impact Cubed. This 501(c)3 public charity stimulates philanthropy and builds social sector capacity by guiding philanthropists; facilitating funder consortiums; consulting on nonprofit capacity; and providing philanthropy education initiatives. Impact Cubed serves entities of all kinds, including individuals, families, foundations, community organizations, and corporations looking to strengthen communities and address societal problems through philanthropy.

To learn more about San Diego Gives, visit www.SanDiegoGives.org.

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 San Diego Gives builds nonprofit capacity, enhances philanthropy and community awareness, and connects people to the causes they care about most.