The Big Give: Giving Together to Make San Antonio Better

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. “The Big Give” might as well be the title of a movie about motherhood, right?

So why would anyone ask us to join an effort called The Big Give? In the wise words of Dr. Seuss, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” And The Big Give is our opportunity to work together to make a difference in the wonderful slice of Texas that we call home.

This is year four for The Big Give in San Antonio, a day that brings donors and nonprofits across San Antonio and South Central Texas together for 24 hours of united giving. From midnight to midnight on Thursday, May 4th, donors give to local charities and nonprofits and make a difference in San Antonio and around South Central Texas.  

Why focus on just one day? By creating a shared experience and connecting people to the causes that matter most to them, The Big Give is an opportunity to draw attention to the needs in our city and make a difference together.

But we also have to talk about the big glitch in last year’s Big Give. Thanks to a series of technical failures, donors had difficulty giving to the nonprofits of their choice. However, our community still rallied to raise $4.3 million for 1,055 nonprofits in 2016. That’s right—nothing stands in our way when we want to make something happen, and steps have been taken to make sure that 2017 is glitch-free.

For me, The Big Give S.A. is an opportunity to make a difference and teach my son the importance of helping others. The importance of giving back is something we want our son to understand. It’s not easy to explain to a child that 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. We try to help other families and other children, animals, our environment, our veterans. We support literacy programs, art programs, health causes, and food banks and more. Because unfortunately, there’s no end to people or programs in need. My son is helping choose the organizations we’ll support this year. Of course, he wants to give to everyone, which makes this mama’s heart smile.

What do you need to know about The Big Give?

  • Understand that whether you can spare $10 (the minimum donation through The Big Give S.A.) or more, know that 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. Just visit the website, select the nonprofit you want to support, and donate. You can even donate via mobile.
  • 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 4th to any charity/charities of your choice. Starting at midnight (that’s the middle of the night on Wednesday into Thursday) and for the next 24 hours, use your credit/debit card to donate to any nonprofit that has registered to participate. New for this year—and for those of us who get too busy to remember what day of the week it is—The Big Give website will open one week before the big day (on April 27th). By giving early, you won’t have to worry about missing the big day.
  • Have a charity in mind you want to support? The Big Give S.A.’s website has a search feature where you can search by charity name, location, or cause and then donate. There are more than 600 organizations participating this year, covering everything from animal welfare to youth development, as well as everything in between.
  • 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 participating organizations 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 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 #BigGive2017. 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. 

Which local causes are you supporting? Tell us about the local organizations you want to help. And how do you get your kids involved in giving?

THANK YOU for giving big and making our beloved Alamo City even better and brighter!

 

Dawn
An Army brat who came to Texas for college and ultimately managed to make the Lone Star State her permanent home, Dawn became a mom “AMA” (advanced maternal age), giving her the opportunity to use a stroller vs. a walker as she navigates the world of motherhood. Her growing up way too fast native Texan loves all things Star Wars, Legos, dinosaurs and keeping his parents on their toes. When she’s not busy parenting the original strong-willed child, Dawn runs Tale to Tell Communications, a San Antonio-based PR and marketing agency. An award-winning writer, Dawn also contributes to San Antonio Woman, Rio Magazine and Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She and her family enjoy exploring all that San Antonio has to offer, going on adventures and playing tourist together as much as possible. Favorite Restaurant: Clementine Favorite Landmark: The beauty of the River Walk, especially La Villita Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Celebrating anything and everything with color, music and food