San Diego Gives, a six-month fundraising program for San Diego-based nonprofits, kicks off Saturday, July 16, with countywide birthday party celebrations taking place at supporting businesses throughout the county. See list of a dozen locations where San Diegans can support local nonprofits on July 16.

The San Diego Gives campaign chose to launch the campaign in honor of San Diego’s birthday, July 16, the day San Diego was established as a city (July 16, 1769). The birthday parties will kick-off early giving, and funds raised will go into the “Love Them All” fund, evenly split among all participating San Diego nonprofits. San Diegans can begin giving from July 17 through the end of September 8 for their favorite charities. The campaign culminates with its day-of-giving on Thursday, Sept. 8.

This year, 327 organizations have signed on to participate in the fundraising campaign, 30 percent above organizer’s goal of 250 nonprofits. Only in its second year, the campaign more than doubled nonprofit participants; 120 organizations participated in the program’s inaugural year.

On Saturday, July 16, the fundraising portal opens and will begin taking donations. Kick-off fundraising parties will be taking place throughout the county, including:

  • Ale Smith Brewing Company
    • Miramar: 9990 AleSmith Court
    • All day – proceeds of the sale of the San Diego Gives beer, called “Drink Local, Give Local,” will go to the campaign
    • 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Birthday party celebration
  • Cute Cakes
    • Escondido: 345 W Grand Avenue
    • All day – 15% of proceeds will go to the campaign (patrons need to bring in a fundraising flier)
  • Kendra Scott
    • Westfield UTC: 4309 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 2330
    • Westfield Fashion Valley: 7007 Friars Road, Suite 542
    • All day – 20% of proceeds will go to the campaign
  • Local Roots Kombucha
    • Vista: 1430 Vantage Court, Suite 101
    • All day – proceeds of the sale of one of their featured hard kombucha flavors will go to the campaign
    • 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Birthday party celebration
  • Sammy’s
    • Del Mar: 12925 El Camino Real
    • La Jolla: 702 Pearl Street
    • La Mesa: 8555 Fletcher Parkway
    • Mission Valley: 1620 Camino de la Reina
    • San Marcos: 121 S. Las Posas Road
    • Scripps Ranch: 10785 Scripps Poway Parkway
    • All day – 20% of proceeds will go to the campaign (patrons need to bring in a campaign flier)
    • 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. – Birthday party celebration (La Mesa, La Jolla and Mission Valley)
  • San Diego Padres (downtown), PETCO Park
    • 5:40 p.m. – kiosk at the game on the concourse

“What better day than San Diego’s birthday to celebrate San Diego’s best nonprofits,” said Lauren Welch, Development Director of Urban Corps of San Diego County, and founder of San Diego Gives. “We’re thrilled with the response – both interest from San Diego charities, but also support from local businesses. Our goal is to educate the San Diego community about addressing the pressing needs of our region and help local nonprofits raise money from new donors.”

For 2022, San Diego Gives has some BIG goals:

  • Raise at least $2 million for participating nonprofits.
  • Engage a minimum of 4,000 donors, with at least 40% of these new givers.
  • Expand the campaign to include at least 250 organizations.
  • At least 75% of donors will report that the campaign positively affected their giving.
  • At least 75% of participating nonprofits will report increased learning in areas of fundraising and marketing by the end of the campaign.
  • Inform about local needs and nonprofit responses through bi-weekly stories of impact on the San Diego Gives website and/or on social media platforms. The campaign is committed to sharing at least 50 stories throughout the campaign.
  • Provide 20+ unique nonprofit and donor learning opportunities through San Diego Gives University.

San Diego Gives thoroughly vetted every nonprofit to make sure they meet the following criteria:

  • Demonstrate 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.
  • Represent a variety of populations and causes served by your programs and services, including but not limited to age, race, zip code, and diverse communities.
  • Commit to keeping all funds raised in the greater San Diego area and have a proven track record of fiscal responsibility.

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 causes, from the arts, animal welfare, environmentalism, education, health, human services, equity, and social justice.

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