Give Big Kern 2024 efforts culminate on Tuesday

Give Big Kern, by any measure, is a success story.

Just look at how it's grown.

The annual effort that encourages the community to donate to, and volunteer for, a wide variety of local nonprofits, raised $147,589 for 101 participating nonprofit organizations in 2017.

Last year, GBK brought in $965,893 to 137 Kern County nonprofits, more than six times the total donations from seven years before.

Since its inception, the community-driven initiative has helped raise more than $4.2 million for nonprofits across the county.

In addition, in 2023, the nonprofits received pledges of 10,799 volunteer hours, potentially a huge help, especially to nonprofits that do not have the means to hire staff.

Will GBK go over the million-dollar mark this year?

For Aaron Falk, president and CEO of Kern Community Foundation, the nonprofit that organizes Give Big Kern, the dollar total is less important than helping as many nonprofits as possible reach their goals.

And these donations are "unrestricted dollars," he said, "which means they can spend it on payroll or on rent, as opposed to a grant, which might have to go to a specific service or a specific program."

One example of how these donations help nonprofits do their jobs better, Falk said, is the Mountain Communities Family Resource Center in Frazier Park.

They "made enough money in Give Big Kern to hire a bilingual staffer," he said, "which basically doubled their reach."

While the first Tuesday in May is "Giving Day," the fundraising effort kicked off 30 days before. On Tuesday, Falk, other supporters and representatives from area nonprofits will meet at 6 a.m. at the Liberty Bell on Truxtun Avenue.

"There we will pump everyone full of coffee and sugar," he said.

Later, the watch party will continue at Temblor Brewery at 5 p.m.

Luther Gray, dance instructor and CEO of nonprofit DAT Krew Academy, says the Kern Community Foundation and its Give Big Kern efforts have helped breathe new life into the academy, whose mission since 2014 has been to inspire today's youth through art and expression by providing a healthy, creative and social alternative to gang violence, human trafficking, crime and addiction.

It was Falk, Gray said, who convinced him last year to become a participating nonprofit in Give Big Kern.

"We jumped into it," he said.

But it wasn't just about the money. It was also about raising the profile of the academy in the community. It was about becoming a more effective advocate and a more effective administrator for the nonprofit.

In 2022, DAT Krew won a Beautiful Bakersfield award in the arts and culture category. It seemed like the time had come to take it to the next level.

Last year, on its first time out of the gate, the nonprofit received nearly $4,000 in GBK donations. It wasn't a giant windfall, but for Gray, who has put a decade of work into this labor of love, the donation was a big blessing.

"Oh, man, it was jaw-dropping for me," he said. "I didn't know my program had that ability to attract new donors."

Jeron Cramer, executive director of Tejon Ranch Conservancy, a nonprofit formed in 2008, is also exploring the potential benefits of Give Big Kern.

The conservancy, created as a result of the Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement, works to preserve, enhance and restore the native biodiversity and ecosystem of Tejon Ranch and Tehachapi Range for the benefit of California’s future generations.

"All gifts we receive through GBK will be matched dollar for dollar, making donors' contributions go even further in support of our programs," Cramer said.

Last year, according to the Kern Community Foundation's 2023 Give Big Kern report, the conservancy received $1,245 in donations in its first year as a GBK participating nonprofit.

"We didn't expect to receive a ton of money," Cramer said. "But every dollar counts."

Like Falk and Gray, Cramer believes there are benefits to being involved with Give Big Kern that go beyond the dollars.

"This is a community of generous people," he said. "Every dollar makes a difference, but in my experience with fundraising, you have to put yourself out there.

"It brings together the nonprofit community, too," he said.

By participating with other professionals in the nonprofit sector, it increases outreach and builds professional networking.

"There's often something I can learn from that person," he said. "It's kind of a community fabric. And Give Big Kern helps build that fabric."

For more information about Give Big Kern, or to donate dollars or volunteer hours, visit givebigkern.org.