No one gives more, or gives bigger, than moms. We give to our littles, their schools, their teams, our churches, our spouses, our co-workers, and our friends. We give until we think we can’t give anymore, then we give more. It’s hard-wired into our DNA. We nurture our families and our little communities and help them stay strong. Thanks to The Big Give S.A., we moms can work together to do the same for our bigger community, the wonderful slice of Texas that we call home.
This is the third year for The Big Give S.A., a day of giving that brings donors and nonprofits across San Antonio and South Central Texas together for 24 hours of united giving. Part of the national day of giving called Give Local America, more than 100 communities across the country are coming together on May 3rd to give local and make a difference. And we all know that the Alamo City does everything bigger and better than anyone else, so The Big Give is custom-made for us.
Why focus on just one day? By creating a shared experience and connecting people to the causes that matter to them the most, the Big Give is an opportunity to draw attention to the needs in our city and make a difference together. Last year, donations totaled $4.3 million for 882 charitable causes. All in just 24 hours.
Hard to believe? Well, this year’s goal is $6 million, a bar that sounds pretty high. But imagine what that money can do for our community and the more than 1,000 charities participating this year. That’s something I want to be a part of.
For me, The Big Give S.A. is an opportunity to make a difference and to let my son help. Charitable giving and the importance of giving back is something we want our son to understand. We work to instill caring and kindness in our son. We talk to him about how not everyone is as lucky as we are. We want him to understand how much we have, and even if we didn’t have much, it’s important to share. Not everyone has a safe home to sleep in. Not everyone has warm clothes to get through the winter, or a cool place to spend our hot summers. Not everyone has a pantry full of food or a closet full of toys. There are children who don’t have homes and animals who don’t have nice people to take care of them.
So we share what we can to help where we can. We try to help other families and other children, animals, our environment, our veterans. We want to support literacy programs, art programs, health causes, and food banks and more. Because unfortunately, there’s no end to people or programs in need.
To get my son involved in The Big Give, I’ve told him we have the opportunity to help others and asked him to help me choose the organizations we will support. It was a fun conversation—and of course, he wants to give to everyone, which makes this mama’s heart leap with joy. And he’s going to be by my side as we click through to The Big Give S.A. site to donate.
So what can you do? Understand that whether you can spare $10 (the minimum donation through The Big Give S.A.), $50, or more, your contribution matters. That’s part of the idea behind the Big Give: putting individual contributions together to have a bigger impact on our community.
What can your donation can do? More than you’ll ever know. For instance, $1 buys seven meals to help feed people in need through the San Antonio Food Bank. So, for the price of a $5 coffee stop, you can feed 35 people. And every charity has an example of how far your support can go, easily naming a need that your donation will help them fill.
How can you give big? DONATE on May 3rd to any charity/charities of your choice. Starting at midnight (that’s middle of the night Monday into Tuesday) and for the next 24 hours, use your credit/debit card to donate to any nonprofit that has registered to participate. If you have questions about how it all works, The Big Give has FAQs you can check out.
Have a charity you want to support in mind? The Big Give S.A.’s website has a search feature in the upper right hand corner where you can search by charity name and then donate.
Not sure what specific group you want to support, but have general cause areas that you’d like to focus on? The website also lists causes by 11 categories so you can browse and find an organization you’d like to support:
Community Improvement, Environment and Parks
Healthcare, Medical Research and the Sciences
Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy and Civic Engagement
And while San Antonio happens to be in Bexar County, The Big Give S.A. is actually broader than that, covering 14 counties in South Central Texas. The website also breaks down the participating organization by county if you’d like to support something in Atascosa County versus Guadalupe County.
Once you donate, spread the word! Don’t be humble. This is a time to shout and help encourage others to jump into The Big Give, too. To make the most impact, The Big Give needs your help to go viral and the nonprofits you support want you to share what you’ve done. Get social and talk up The Big Give on social media. Each of the charities has their own hashtags, and for The Big Give, it’s #BGSA2016. They’re on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter if you want to follow along and share your support. Tell your friends, encourage them to donate and continue spreading the community love. And let us know—we’d love to hear what causes you are supporting and how you’re helping make our beloved Alamo City even better and brighter![hr]
