Give Big Kern is coming to help Kern Nonprofits Fundraise B-i-i-i-g!

For a fifth year in a row, Kern Community Foundation is hosting Give Big Kern, Kern’s own official online Day of Giving that takes place on the first Tuesday in May and boasts the participation of more than 100 local nonprofits yearly. It truly is “One Day to Celebrate the Giving Spirit of Kern County!”

In 2020, we are looking for greater participation from nonprofits in Kern’s rural, mountain and desert communities.

Give Big Kern is the recipient of the 2019 Beautiful Bakersfield Award for helping to create “A Better Bakersfield.” In 2019, the effort raised close to $430,000 for 114 participating charities throughout Kern.

Participation for nonprofits is FREE, but limited to charities serving Kern County that are registered with Kern Community Foundation and have a Silver or higher transparency rating on http://www.GuideStar.org, the world’s largest online clearing house of information on nonprofits. More information may be found on http://www.givebigkern.org, in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the drop-down menu.

Participants also must attend some mandatory trainings designed to help them get the most out of the experience. Go to http://www.givebigkern.org > Menu > Trainings and sign up for the Getting Started trainings that include a Jan. 15 Webinar, and at least one in-person training in early February: offered in Bakersfield on Feb. 3, and in Ridgecrest and Kernville on Feb. 6.

As our upcoming Give Big Kern falls on Cinco de Mayo, our theme for 2020 is “Give Like It’s a Fiesta!” and we want as many Kern nonprofits as possible to join in the fun of raising unrestricted dollars through this highly visible crowdfunding event. The trainings will help nonprofits learn important aspects of online fundraising, social media and e-mail marketing, event planning, board and donor engagement, how to maximize donations through peer-to-peer fundraising and matching gifts, and more.

The engine behind Give Big Kern is Kern Community Foundation, which offers AT NO COST the use of the http://www.givebigkern.org platform, trainings, marketing materials, and cash prizes to participating agencies that excel in fundraising and volunteer, donor and board engagement. It is the Foundation’s gift to the community and a big part of our Nonprofit Strengthening Initiative, which aims to increase the visibility, capacity and sustainability of Kern’s hard-working nonprofits.

As our 2019 Give Big Kern Report to the Community shows, since its launch in 2016, Give Big Kern has made it possible for hundreds of Kern County nonprofits to raise almost $1 million and receive close to 230,000 pledged volunteer hours from thousands of generous community donors and volunteers.

Besides appealing to nonprofits to register to participate in Give Big Kern, we also appeal to the business community to join this effort as much-needed sponsors. You will be helping our entire nonprofit community in one fell swoop and your sponsorship dollars will help pay for cash prizes, trainings and marketing materials so that Give Big Kern can continue to be offered to local charities free of charge. Please contact Louis Medina at [email protected] or (661) 616-2603 to get involved.

And as Give Big Kern Mascot Billy the Give Big Goat likes to say, “Give B-i-i-i-g!”

Louis Medina is the Director of Community Impact for Kern Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is “Growing community. Growing philanthropy.”