By admin 
Here’s what you say matters to you most as the holidays approach, and here’s what we’re going to do about it.
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First, the top three causes, according to our survey:
• Education and youth development, including literacy.
• Health and wellness, including mental health and senior citizen services.
• Housing and homelessness.
These are the ones you’re asking us to support through our “Dream Big for Small Nonprofits” holiday drive, the successor to our longstanding “Book of Dreams” program.
More than 180 Sacramento Bee readers took our survey, with more than 120 leaving detailed comments explaining why they voted the way they did. Now, we’re working alongside our partners at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to pick three emerging nonprofits whose missions embrace these causes, aiming to raise at least $20,000 for each of them.
We plan to announce these organizations at our biggest event of the year — our Oct. 13 Change Makers gala, a partnership with Nehemiah Leaders Programs. After that, we’ll begin telling the stories of each organization and the people they serve.
Why small nonprofits? A tenet of journalism is to amplify voices who need to be heard. With thousands of nonprofits within the community foundation’s coverage area of Sacramento, Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties, it can be tough for deserving new groups to connect with donors. Our storytelling, combined with a five-figure infusion of cash, aims to elevate their profiles.
If the above is enough to move you to support our Dream Big Fund right now, you can do so at sacregcf.org/dreambig. If not, you’ll have plenty of time to make a tax-deductible donation in the coming months.
What readers told us
Thirty-six percent of readers who responded to our survey picked education as the cause that mattered most. Many identified themselves as teachers, noting that pandemic-era disruptions to in-class learning severely worsened reading deficits. Other readers highlighted funding gaps in special education and called for expanded resources and advocacy for disabled youth and their families, including mentoring programs.
Thirty-one percent identified health and wellness, with areas of need including childhood and family grief counseling, suicide prevention, and helping seniors who suffer from loneliness and mobility challenges.
Sixteen percent said housing and homelessness was their top concern, including providing transitional housing for young people aging out of foster care and furniture for homeowners struggling with the affordability crisis. Others expressed concerns about housing growth and the need for consumer-protection assistance, especially for seniors.
Other readers advocated for programs benefiting the environment, arts and culture, and community improvement and workforce development, including job training programs. We plan to put those back on the list for consideration next year.
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What’s a ‘small nonprofit’
To qualify for Dream Big funding, nonprofits must:
• Have an annual operating budget of $1 million or less.
• Have at least 1 full-time employee.
• Be up and running for at least one year, meaning at least one IRS Form 990 has been filed.
• Have a profile on GivingEdge, the community foundation’s platform that helps people find local nonprofits they can trust.
A note for nonprofits: there won’t be a formal application process. If you’re in the GivingEdge database and meet these criteria, you’ll qualify automatically for consideration. If you’re a nonprofit representative or potential donor with questions about the program, email [email protected].
After we announce the winning organizations, we’ll spotlight their work through stories and videos through the end of the year. Our hope is that our journalism not only increases the overall amount of money we raise. Donations to the Dream Big Fund will be split equally between the three nonprofits.
We’ll close the donation period at the end of the calendar year and distribute proceeds to the organizations in January.
In the meantime, help us Dream Big.
Credit card donations — the fastest and easiest way of giving to the Sacramento Bee Dream Big Fund — can be made via sacregcf.org/dreambig. Credit card donors will receive an emailed gift acknowledgment confirming their donation.
Checks should be made out to “Sacramento Region Community Foundation,” with “Dream Big” noted in the memo and mailed to: Sacramento Region Community Foundation; 955 University Ave., Suite A; Sacramento, CA 95825. Donors will receive a mailed gift acknowledgment for their donation.
To donate appreciated assets, or to initiate a wire or ACH transfer to the Fund, please reach out to Chelsea Fahr, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Sr. Director of Philanthropy, at [email protected] for instructions.
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