By: Yolo Community Foundation
May 1, 2025, was Big Day of Giving in the Sacramento region – and it was a very big day for the Yolo County nonprofits that participated, as they raised a collective $1.9 million from more than 8,100 gifts. Nearly 130 Yolo County nonprofits participated, the highest number of local nonprofits that have ever taken part in this annual giving day.
Overall, throughout the Sacramento region, 855 nonprofits raised over $13.8 million from more than 30,500 donors through the Big Day of Giving 2025. Big Day of Giving is a project of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation; nonprofits in Yolo, Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado counties participate. The first Big Day of Giving took place in 2013; as of May 1, participating organizations have raised over $117 million through the program. Learn more at http://www.bigdayofgiving.org.
Yolo County’s top fundraising nonprofits were the Yolo Food bank, which raised over $260,000, followed by Meals on Wheels Yolo County at nearly $179,000 and Empower Yolo at $136,000. According to Karen Baker, CEO of the Yolo Food Bank, “The generous response from our region has blown us away! On behalf of the families we serve, we thank every single one of you who has supported us during this time of critical need.”
Joy Cohan, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Yolo County says, “This outpouring of generosity to sustain seniors’ access to nutrition amidst unprecedented fiscal uncertainty is heroic, and we are grateful for Meals on Wheels Yolo County’s largest Big Day of Giving finish ever. The overall response to support Yolo County food security organizations speaks to community values, and my staff, our Board of Directors, and I are honored to nourish some of the most vulnerable older adults in this community of many heroes.”
A wide variety of organizations of all sizes and causes participated in the initiative. Interested community members can learn more about these nonprofits, and the Yolo County nonprofit landscape, at http://www.bigdayofgiving.org/yolocounty.
According to Yolo Community Foundation Executive Director Jessica Hubbard, “Charitable gifts of all sizes are one of the ways that individuals express their values and show up for their communities. Amid shifting times, the Yolo County community showed that it values our local nonprofits and the services they provide throughout Yolo County. Big Day of Giving is a much-needed source of unrestricted funding for our local nonprofits; at the same time, knowing that Yolo County residents value nonprofits’ work enough to invest their personal resources is a much-needed source of motivation and moral support.”
Hubbard encourages community members to mark their calendars for next year’s Big Day of Giving on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
About the Yolo Community Foundation:
The Yolo Community Foundation inspires and supports giving and provides philanthropic leadership in Yolo County. The organization offers donor-advised funds and other philanthropic vehicles, donates to local nonprofits, runs nonprofit training programs, and supports local giving. YCF currently has more than 100 philanthropic funds valued at over $14 million and is an affiliate of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Join us! Visit www.yolocf.org to learn more.
About the Sacramento Region Community Foundation:
In addition to leading Big Day of Giving as part of its initiative to grow local giving, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation works alongside the Yolo Community Foundation to provide solutions that help local people make a philanthropic impact immediately or through their estates. Its mission is to lead, serve, and inspire enduring philanthropy for a just and vibrant Sacramento region. Learn more at sacregcf.org.
