Here in Austin, we like to keep it local, especially on Amplify Austin Day.
This year, I Live Here I Give Here invites residents across the seven-county Central Texas area to give back to 750+ local nonprofits — 106 more than last year — over a 24-hour period.
Here’s how it works: Folks search for a nonprofit or category — think animal services, healthcare, arts, environmentalism, and much more — they’re passionate about and donate at least $5. Community members can also become Fundraiser Champions and companies can set up Business Fundraisers.
This year’s goal is to raise $10 million from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, but early giving is open now. We spoke with I Live Here I Give Here Executive Director Piper Stege Nelson about how the Austin community can find and support causes they care about.
What’s the ethos behind I Live Here I Give Here and Amplify Austin Day?
Stege Nelson: “Our vision is that every single person in Central Texas gives back in some way to the community, whether that’s volunteering, donating, or informal gifts, whatever it is. We want everyone to give back to the community. We do a number of programs throughout the year to engage with individuals and with corporations and to get nonprofits what they need to succeed, but a big pillar of what we do each year is Amplify Austin Day.”
How do you find new nonprofits to participate and how are they vetted?
Stege Nelson: “Nonprofits, every year, come to us and say, ‘We want to participate in this.’ The way that they are qualified to participate in Amplify Austin Day is that they have to prove that they are a 501(c)(3) and that’s really all. We make sure that their paperwork is in order, we make sure that they are a functioning 501(c)(3) in good status, and that’s it.
I will tell you that about 22% to 25% of our nonprofits are completely volunteer-run — they have no paid staff whatsoever. The thing about Amplify Austin Day is that it is a great opportunity for the very, very small nonprofit that doesn’t have staff to put in a couple of hours a week in the weeks running up to Amplify Austin Day, get all of their board (and) all of their community engaged, and actually make some money.”
Why is it important for people to give back within the community?
Stege Nelson: “Whether (it’s) an hour of volunteer time, or $5 to a cause I care about, or just going down and checking on my neighbor who I haven’t seen in a couple of days — giving back locally is the place where I know I have some agency, some control, some ability to not just make a positive impact, but also remind myself that I am a part of something and I am a part of a community.
In the face of how uncertain things can feel, it’s all the more important, both for the givers and for the community that we are giving back. ... You know more intimately what you’re impacting when you donate locally.”
If you’re passionate about music, consider giving to one of the nonprofits in the Arts & Culture category.
Photo by Christine St. Laurent via I Live Here I Give Here
How can somebody find a cause they’re passionate about if they don’t know any nonprofits in the area?
Stege Nelson: “We have this See Teens Give program — we’re working with about 50 teens to help them figure out how to give back to their community. The first thing that we have them do is think about what they care about, about the issues that they’re passionate about. Maybe they care about pets, or maybe they care about parks, or maybe they care about people facing violence, or maybe they care about kids getting lunch.
Then, we have them go to amplifyatx.org and with over 750 nonprofits, they are separated out by cause category, by location, so which county they’re in, by which organizations are BIPOC led, like you can search by those organizations, and it just gives you a sense of what all is out there.”
Folks can donate directly to the Paramount and State Theatres on Amplify Austin Day.
Photo via I Live Here I Give Here
Is there a way to give a sum of money and have it dispersed?
Stege Nelson: “When you donate to the Amplify Fund, you’re giving to all of the nonprofits. People might win prizes, or they might be distributed into specific categories, but at the end of the day, whatever money is left in that pot in the Amplify Fund gets distributed to those nonprofits.”
Can you donate to I Live Here I Give Here on Amplify Austin Day?
Stege Nelson: “Yes, you can. Luckily, we have sponsors who say ‘It’s really important to put on Amplify Austin Day, we’re going to sponsor the day.’ When companies and foundations do that, we put their name everywhere.
There are also individuals that are raising money for I Live Here I Give Here. A couple (teens from the See Teens Give program) have chosen I Live Here I Give Here and our board will all choose to raise money for I Live Here I Give Here on Amplify Austin Day as well.”
