Fremont Area Big Give 24-hour Fundraiser

The Fremont Area Big Give is live today — and the basic idea is simple. For 24 hours on Thursday, May 7, people can donate online to local nonprofits across the Fremont area. But this is not just a one-day donation page. It is a coordinated giving challenge built to pull more money, more attention, and a little competitive energy into the local nonprofit scene. (fremontareabiggive.org) ### What is actually happening today? The Fremont Area Community Foundation is running the 10th annual Big Give, a one-day online fundraiser for nonprofits in the greater Dodge County area. The giving window opened at 12:00 a.m. Central on May 7 and closes at 11:59 p.m. tonight, so this is the main push day even though the campaign has already been accepting early donations since May 1. (thebestmix1055.com) ### Who is behind it? The organizer is the Fremont Area Community Foundation in Nebraska — not the separate community foundation in Fremont, Michigan, which shows up in search results and can easily cause confusion. The Nebraska foundation frames the event as a way to raise unrestricted dollars for local nonprofits, which matters because unres(thebestmix1055.com) up. (facfoundation.org) ### Who can give, and how? Anyone can donate through the Big Give website. The minimum online gift is $10, and there is no stated maximum. Donors can use major credit cards or a bank account, and the FAQ also says checks, donor-advised funds, appreciated securities, and IRA charitable distributions can be used in some cases if handled through the foundation or the participating nonprofit. (fremont([facfoundation.org)nfo/faq)) ### Why make it a 24-hour challenge? Because urgency works. A normal fundraiser can blur into the background, but a one-day clock gives nonprofits a reason to email, post, call supporters, and hold in-person tie-in events all at once. The Big Give site also layers on prizes and leaderboards, so organizations are not only chasing donations — they are also trying to win bonus money through hourly contests and participation incentives. (fremontareabiggive.org) ### How big is this now? Turns out this is no longer a small experiment. The campaign says 2026 is its 10th year, and the event page says the Big Give has inspired more than 17,000 gifts and raised nearly $3.5 million since 2017. One local foundation page looking back at 2025 says last year alone 83 area nonprofits raised more than $430,000 in 24 hours, which helps explain why this has become a fixed date on the local calendar. (fremontareabiggive.org) ### What kinds of groups are involved? The participating organizations span the usual local civic map — education, arts, parks, emergency services, youth programs, churches, and social services. You can see that range in the event listings and organization pages tied to the campaign, from the Fremont Opera House to school-related groups and church ministries. Basicall(fremontareabiggive.org)ty life you care about and fund that.” (fremontareabiggive.org) ### Why does unrestricted money matter so much? Because nonprofits usually do not struggle only with big capital projects. They struggle with the boring stuff — keeping programs staffed, covering food or utility costs, replacing equipment, filling holes when a grant ends. Restricted grants can be useful, but unrestricted dollars are more like cash in a household emergency fund. They(fremontareabiggive.org)one a grant application predicted six months earlier. This last part is an inference from how community foundations and nonprofit fundraising typically work, but it matches how the event describes its goal. (fremontareabiggive.org) ### What’s the bottom line? If you live in or care about the Fremont area, today is the concentrated giving day. The mechanics are straightforward, but the bigger point is community leverage — many local groups asking at once, with shared visibility and bonus incentives, can pull in more support than each one fundraising alone. (fremontareabiggive.org)