Donors can begin giving to more than 3,300 local nonprofits starting Thursday, when North Texas Giving Day kicks off its 18th annual fundraising season.

North Texas Giving Day is the largest regional giving event in the United States. It will take place Sept. 17, but there will be several events before then. The organizations span more than 25 cause areas, including food and housing, education, health, the arts, religious causes and animal welfare. One-hundred percent of the tax-deductible donations will go toward nonprofits.

“This whole idea of collective generosity is really important because it leads to collective impact and it’s more lasting,” said Wayne White, president and CEO of the Communities Foundation of Texas. “Everyone’s a philanthropist, so we love to have everyone participate.”

Last year, North Texas Giving Day raised $78 million from more than 100,000 individuals for thousands of local nonprofits that covered issues such as education, health, social services and arts.

Nonprofits at that time were facing major headwinds amid a pullback in federal funding, White said. Some federal support has returned this year, he said, but there are still far fewer federal resources than in prior years.

“Last year, I think we were in a crisis mode,” White said. “I’m happy to say it’s not as much of a crisis, but the need is still quite high.”

Since North Texas Giving Day launched in 2009, it has raised more than $712 million. White said the average donation size has increased slightly each year, along with the number of participating nonprofits. Last year, he said, the average donation size was $250.

Animal welfare is often a popular cause among donors, as are basic needs such as food, shelter, human services and education.

This year, Communities Foundation of Texas is offering catered training for nonprofits and has also engaged local social media influencers to spread the word about the event and causes they care about.

Amazon is a presenting sponsor for this year’s fundraiser. Top sponsors include Charles Schwab & Co., Hunt Consolidated Inc., McCune Losinger Family Fund at Communities Foundation of Texas and Sid W. Richardson Foundation.

The Dallas Morning News/Hearst Dallas Media Group is a media sponsor.

People can donate through www.NorthTexasGivingDay.org with credit cards, ACH, GooglePay, PayPal or Venmo. The website accepts gifts all year long.