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October Coffee Talk features ‘The Big Give’
McCOOK, Neb. - For our October Coffee Talk, the Gazette spoke with Lisa Felker and Ronda Graff of the Southwest Nebraska Big Give.
The Nov. 6 event will be a 24-hour giving campaign designed to rally support for local 501(c)(3) nonprofits in McCook and southwest Nebraska. During the event, donors choose the organizations they wish to support and can give online or in person at designated “giving stations,” while matching funds are made available to increase the impact of every dollar.
The upcoming Big Give event marks its 10th year of operation. Originally launched with 18 participating organizations, it has grown significantly—last year, including 45 groups and raising $348,000, up from $45,000 in its first year. It has also expanded geographically to include six counties in Southwest Nebraska, with new participants from Stratton and Indianola joining this year.
A key element of the Big Give is sponsorship funding. Major sponsors, including the Graff Charitable Foundation and MNB Bank, provide matching funds—typically one sponsor dollar for every two raised. While not yet a one-to-one match, the matching funds amplify individual donations and are distributed evenly across participating organizations through a carefully calculated system.
Power Hours, nine of them scheduled this year, provide a focused window during which donations can be matched up to $1,000. The event remains heavily in-person, with roughly 70% of donations made at local giving stations, mainly banks. Organizers are working to increase online giving to draw outside donations from alumni and former residents.
Beyond matching funds, the day features community activities like a soup supper at McCook Christian Church, which doubles as a drive-through giving station. Power Hours and donation totals will be highlighted on the Fox Theatre marquee and online throughout the day to keep the community engaged. Graff said, “We want it to be a fun day.”
The Big Give has become essential to many nonprofits. Several organizations now depend on it to offset funding cuts from other sources, supporting core services like domestic violence assistance and animal welfare. Originally tied to the old Community Chest/United Way model, the program has evolved. Community Chest now only administers the Big Give, no longer receiving direct funds. Donors can designate gifts to individual organizations rather than contributing to a pooled fund.
Felker underlined the importance of the effort, saying, “What happens if we don’t have the Humane Society, if we don’t have these groups? They’re doing a lot of the day-to-day operations of keeping this community going.”
Participation is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a physical presence in the region, excluding purely religious groups without a community service component. Organizers stress the importance of broad participation—every dollar matters, and they hope to increase the number of donors, not just donation totals. Typical contributions range from children giving small amounts to retirees directing required minimum distributions.
Finally, communication and outreach are shared responsibilities. The central committee promotes the event, but local organizations, especially in outlying towns, are expected to get the word out in their communities. Over time, the Big Give has grown not just in size, but in importance to the region’s civic and nonprofit life.
Graff urged, “Go check out the website, you know, to learn about those organizations... again, any amount is appreciated by these organizations. So just keep talking.”
Coffee Talk is an unscripted discussion of current events with a community leader and takes place on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Citta Deli in McCook.