Expanding Philanthropy and the Social Economy

Leading to a More Generous Region

This initiative is at the heart of our mission. The pace of change in philanthropy is both rapid and profound — from our region's dynamic demographics and the rise of the next generation of philanthropists, to the continuing transfer of enormous wealth to heirs and the advent of new technologies for giving.

We respond to these trends by working in partnership with our fundholders and community partners to create a better future for all. We nimbly stay abreast of new ways of giving, as demonstrated on Big Day of Giving, which has been transformational for our region. Innovations like GivingEdge — our nonprofit database which makes Big Day of Giving possible — and other programs like Grants Advisory Board for Youth and the Philanthropic Advisors' Forum of Greater Sacramento are making philanthropy more accessible by attracting new people to charitable giving and offering the opportunity to have greater impact by giving together.

Big Days of Giving, part of our philanthropy initiative, has raised $78 million for nonprofits in the Sacramento region since 2013.

Learn more about this dynamic event

This work occurs at the intersection of the Sacramento region's private, public, and philanthropic sectors. Our partnerships in all three sectors help us to make significant change together and grow support for local nonprofits. We know a strong nonprofit sector leads to a strong community, and we believe that — despite initially lagging national averages for both the percent of area households that give to nonprofits and the average amount given locally per household — giving to local organizations has been climbing in the Sacramento region, thanks in part to our focus in this area and the generosity of our community.

Learn more about Big Day of Giving

DONATE TO SUPPORT THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Complementing our effort to grow philanthropic giving, we continue to develop our work in this arena through programs that aim to build the capacity of the local nonprofit sector. We embarked on this effort with Big Day of Giving, and have continued to foster it through micro-grants and The Lab Capacity Building Program, which fosters a thriving nonprofit sector by supporting diverse and emerging nonprofit leaders to achieve meaningful change. 

Learn more about The Lab

Our Big Day of Giving trainings encourage local nonprofits to network while they develop their marketing and board engagement skills.