Southwest Nebraska Big Give marks 10th anniversary

MCCOOK, Neb. – Time flies when you are having fun, and time has flown since the Big Give began in McCook, and it has been fun. The 10th annual Southwest Nebraska Big Give is less than a month away, with the one-day of giving planned for Thursday, Nov. 6.

Since it began in 2016, the Big Give has undergone many changes.

The name changed in 2023 from Big Give McCook to Southwest Nebraska Big Give to include more communities. The number of organizations taking part in the event has more than tripled from 16 in the first year to 44 in 2025. And the funds raised for area nonprofits continue to grow each year, with records set each year since the Big Give’s inception.

To be eligible for the Southwest Nebraska Big Give, an organization must be a 501(3) nonprofit with a physical presence in Southwest Nebraska.

Several nonprofits have been part of the Big Give since it began in 2016 including the McCook YMCA, McCook Arts Council, McCook Humane Society, Family Resource Center, McCook Community Foundation Fund, Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Services, Salvation Army, Prarie Plains Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity and McCook’s Teammates Mentoring Program.

Other organizations which have been part of the Big Give which have been part of the 24 hours of giving for several years include the Community Hospital Health Foundation, ABC Pregnancy Help Center, Sixth Floor Project/ArtBank, Cambridge Senior Center, Curtis Area Senior Center, Discovery Center, Haigler Community Foundation, High Plains Historical Society and Museum, Hillcrest Nursing Home Foundation, Boy Scouts of America-Mid-America Council, Norris Institute, McCook Art Guild, McCook College Foundation, McCook Community Kitchen, McCook Education Foundation, McCook K-9 Korner, McCook Legion Baseball Boosters, Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society, St. Patrick School, Tri Valley Medical Foundation, and Teammates for Cambridge and Maywood, and the Freedom Festival.

Starting their second year with the Big Give are Beautify McCook, Stratton Community Foundation Fund, Cambridge Community Daycare Foundation, Cambridge Park Foundation, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Freedom Festival.

New this year are the Indianola Historical Society, Cambridge Main Street Revival, Southwest Public Schools Foundation, the McCook Athletic Group Training Center, Cambridge Public Schools Foundation and the Community Indoor Association in McCook.

The 2025 Southwest Nebraska Big Give is made possible because of sponsors providing matching funds, which are used during the “power hours” throughout the day, as well as overall matching funds for each organization based on their totals. Several new power hours have been added for 2025, including a second power hour for donations given online during the day. Previously, the only online power hour took place at midnight.

Platinum and gold sponsors include Graff Charitable Foundation and MNB Bank, Community Hospital and First Interstate Bank. A complete list of sponsors is available on the Big Give website, swnebiggive.org.

Complete information about the Big Give and all the organizations participating can be found on the Big Give website.

Online donations will begin to be accepted at noon Thursday, Nov. six through 11:59 p.m. A complete list of in-person giving stations can be found on the website, along with a printable form so donors can arrive with their donation ready.

The Southwest Nebraska Big Give is coordinated by Community Chest, which is a subaccount of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.