Two of St. Pete’s most impactful local philanthropies are joining forces this fall. St. Pete’s big give will unite Pinellas County’s largest giving circles for an historic $50K donation night dubbed “St. Pete’s Fastest Happy Hour.”
The Big Give will shine a light on local nonprofits and award more than $50,000 in grants to help support their initiatives. The event takes place on Tuesday, December 2, at 6 pm at The Palladium Theatre, 253 5th Avenue North. Participants are asked to donate $100 online in advance, then join the fun on the night of the event.
Photo via Women Who Care St. Petersburg
The historic giving event is being hosted by 100 Good Guys – St Pete and 100 Women Who Care – St Petersburg, two local chapters that are part of a 700+ large global network of local philanthropic groups. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for local nonprofits in St. Pete through the two groups, and this joint event will be the largest single-day drive in their history.
At The Big Give, three local nonprofits will present to the audience, sharing their mission and impact. All three will receive funds, while the audience will vote on one nonprofit to win the grand prize and take home $50K+. The casual event aims to drop the formal gala atmosphere often associated with fundraising. Instead, the intimate evening brings the community close to the people working to serve, focusing on the work and the relationships.
For The Big Give, the goal between 100 Good Guys and 100 Women Who Care is to bring in at least 500 people with a $100 donation, thus providing $50K or more for local nonprofits. First, you donate through their secure electronic platform on Grapevine.org. Then you listen to three nonprofits pitch their work and needs. Finally, everyone votes and a winner is chosen that night.
Local groups donate more than $600K to St. Pete charities
The idea behind the philanthropic groups themselves is pretty straightforward. If 100 (or more) people will commit to a $100 donation for each of the quarterly events, then that’s a minimum of $10,000 going toward a deserving local group every three months. By the end of a calendar year, at least $40,000 has been sent directly to nonprofits serving St. Pete.
Combined, the two chapters have donated more than $600,000 to local charities. The women’s group has donated nearly $500,000 since 2020. The guys (who were established in 2023) have donated more than $100,000 in two years.
Learn more about The Big Give here. The event takes place on Tuesday, December 2, at 6 pm at The Palladium Theatre, 253 5th Avenue North.