We're excited that our annual, online community giving campaign is coming up, and we can't wait to celebrate another banner year with our communities as 'together, we give' back to locally rooted causes and projects that uplift our communities overall wellness.

Give Local, an initiative of the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, has grown by leaps and bounds raising over $2.9 million for our region over the last 6 years. The event's remarkable growth is evident, evolving from a small, invite-only gathering that raised around $120,000 for 50 nonprofits in 2017 to a vibrant community-wide celebration that raised nearly $800,000 for 97 nonprofits in 2022. This year's Give Local will feature over 130 nonprofits working in a broad range of service areas including education, youth, animal welfare, the environment, wellness, the arts, and so much more!

Give Local aims to encourage community philanthropy, increase support for causes that people in our region care about, and boost nonprofit visibility. Nonprofits participate in Give Local because it's an effective way to raise funds for the important work they do, it gets the word out about their mission, and it connects them with everyday people who care about our communities.  

We believe that everyone can participate in a meaningful way, and no gift is too small. That's one of the big benefits of Give Local: a wide range of people in our communities can—and do—participate. In fact, 80% of the total number of Give Local contributions in 2022 were gifts of $200 or less, and every gift made through the campaign was boosted by a proportional match from a $100,000 Bonus Fund seeded by the Dawkins Charitable Trust, a benefit participants will enjoy again this year.

‍How do we get started with Give Local?

Get involved. Right now is the perfect time to start strategizing and reaching out to nonprofits you already love and asking them if you can sign up to be a "Champion'' and fundraise alongside them during Give Local. It takes time to develop a successful campaign, and your support ensures that your favorite local causes reach their fundraising goals to meet community needs. The sooner you reach out, the more time you'll have to encourage others to join you in donating to their favorite causes, too.

Mark your calendar. The 2023 Give Local campaign runs November 6-17. During that time, participating nonprofits—in health services, the arts, housing, economic development, and more—will be accepting donations and reaping extra benefits. Let the countdown begin!

Bookmark this link (spsgives.org), so you're ready to ”Give Local“ when the campaign starts. Prior to the campaign, this site is where organizations find tools to help them prepare. Once the campaign opens, it's also where donors will see each local nonprofit's Story (profile page) and where they'll contribute. You can also help the Community Foundation start generating buzz by sharing why you "Give Local" on the spsgives.org homepage.  

Our donor FAQs are already live. This is a great place to start because you can donate in many ways, including through your donor advised fund or retirement account, and start thinking about your Give Local donation budget and the causes most important to you. If you interested in making your Give Local gift through a donor advised fund or individual retirement account check out this resource for more information.

Another way to get involved is to become a Give Local sponsor. Our sponsors help increase nonprofit visibility and help cover costs associated with the event, such as credit card fees, online platform fees, nonprofit training, and marketing. Thanks to generous sponsors, credit card and platform fees are covered so that 100% of donations go directly to nonprofits. Community Foundation of South Puget Sound would like to extend a special thanks to all our returning sponsors in 2023: Dawkins Charitable Trust, Olympia Federal Savings, TwinStar Credit Union, WSECU, The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation & Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.

We can't wait to celebrate alongside our communities the difference we will all make together!