While the GiveBigKern.org website remains open to receive donations through midnight tonight, May 6, the results of Give Big Kern 2020, which was observed yesterday as “One Day to Celebrate the Giving Spirit of Kern County,” surprised even Kern’s generous community during the current trying times of the unfolding COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
The numbers are still rising, and as of this writing, the total is approaching $720,000, including prizes awarded to nonprofits excelling in fundraising, volunteer recruitment and board engagement.
Host agency Kern Community Foundation, which since 2016 has offered the GiveBigKern.org fundraising platform free of charge to local charities, knew that it would be of much help this year as a safe, social-distancing-compliant rallying point for nonprofits to raise unrestricted dollars and volunteer hour pledges. This was especially the case for agencies that were forced to cancel spring fundraising events, or scale back services due to mandatory health directives designed to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
“This year’s Give Big Kern effort is a testament to Kern County’s giving spirit and the ability of our nonprofit partners to quickly respond to difficult situations,” Foundation President and CEO Kristen Beall Watson said. “We are honored and humbled to be a part of such a worthwhile project.”
As an added plus, participating nonprofits received a total of 155,544 pledged volunteer hours through Give Big Kern. At a value of $29.95 per volunteer hour in California, according to IndependentSector.org, this represents a $4,658,543 in-kind contribution to agencies that rely on volunteer labor to carry out their operations. According to the California Association of Nonprofits, CalNonprofits.org, 70 percent of California nonprofits are all-volunteer run.
“Give Big Kern is one of the few giving day campaigns in the country to accept pledged volunteer hours,” Beall Watson said. “Since the launch of Give Big Kern, we have been committed to providing an opportunity for every community member to give, either monetarily or in kind. This year’s totals bring to light the desire of people to get involved and support our amazing local nonprofits.”
Kern Community Foundation also encourages giving to local nonprofits by awarding competitive and opportunity drawing cash prizes, made possible through sponsors’ support, to top-performing nonprofits in fundraising, volunteer recruitment, board engagement and other categories through the end of the day on May 5. This year’s prizes and their winners are:
- $1,500 to Bakersfield High School Endowment Fund for Most Individual Donors (258)
- $1,000 to Independence Through GRACE Foundation for Most Dollars Raised ($66,050)
- $1,000 to Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue for Most Dollars Raised by a Rural Nonprofit outside of Metro Bakersfield ($41,588)
- $1,000 to Hoffmann Hospice of the Valley for Most Individual Volunteers Submitting Hour Pledges (48)
- $500 to Portrait of a Warrior Gallery for Most Volunteer Hours Pledged (19,449)
- $250 to Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue for the Give Big from Far, Far Away Prize (Donation received from a donor in Western Australia, 11,625 miles away)
- $1,000 to Be Finally Free, Inc. for 100% Board Participation in Giving (Opportunity Drawing)
- $1,000 to Strength of Shadow Dog Rescue for Cinco de Mayo “Happy Giving Hour” Prize for raising the most dollars online ($4,330) between 5 and 7 p.m. on Give Big Kern Day, which this year fell on Cinco de Mayo.
- $500 to Independence Through GRACE Foundation, for the Runner Up Cinco de Mayo “Happy Giving Hour” Prize ($3,895 raised)
“Having a friendly competition for prizes really motivates the nonprofits to fundraise, and their supporters to give to them to help them win a prize,” Louis Medina, the Foundation’s Director of Community Impact said. “It raises hopes, makes fundraising fun, and for the winners, it’s extra money they can put to use meeting dire needs.”