Local Nonprofits Give to Us Daily. It's Our Turn.

• By Jeanne Howard

Thanks to our generous community Santa Cruz Gives has become the largest fundraising campaign in Santa Cruz County that supports local nonprofit organizations serving all types of needs across the county. It sounds like a lot of qualifiers, but the annual six-week crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $4 million for more than 100 nonprofits since its founding in 2015, with $2.3 million of that in the past two campaigns. Great potential remains!

This year 65 nonprofits were selected (from those that applied) to participate in the holiday fundraiser — a number that will grow as the total funds raised grows and each organization has a fair shot at success.

Every year when the giving period begins, I wonder anew what the state of our County would be without our nonprofit organizations. The problems would be palpable and multiplied to the extent that our lovely community would be a dystopia.

Of course, it wouldn't happen here. Many would step up, as many do, to volunteer time, raise funds for needs that can't be handled by volunteers, and do what needs to be done. This is the point of Santa Cruz Gives. This is why it exists: So we can help them help us! If you're fortunate enough that your winter holidays are a season of plenty, please consider assisting some of our neighbors in need. And please share the link with friends and family.

Please support our sponsors who are responsible for making Santa Cruz Gives happen:

Good Times, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins, Driscoll’s, Inc., Comcast, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, The Pajaronian, and Press Banner.