AMEA, Daniela Riojas Headlining Martinez Street Women's Center Bash for The Big Give 2018

While many San Antonians support area nonprofits throughout the year by participating in charity walks and runs, volunteering time, or purchasing tickets for performances, galas and Fiesta events galore, few get out their checkbooks for the random acts of kindness that help keep these organizations afloat.

Inaugurated in 2014 under the umbrella of the national movement Give Local America, The Big Give S.A. aims to remedy this situation by connecting the community at large with hundreds of nonprofits that rely on grants and donations for operational costs. Organized on a handy website that takes the guesswork out of giving, the collaborative charity drive has so far raised more than $15 million for a wide range of South-Central Texas organizations.

Aiming to raise a total of $7 million and “make our region a great place to live, work, and play,” the 2018 campaign unites 628 nonprofits — Animal Defense League of Texas, Green Spaces Alliance, BEAT AIDS, Girls Inc., Blue Star Contemporary, Hot Wells Conservancy, Conjunto Heritage Taller and the Elf Louise Christmas Project among them — for a period of 24 hours. To get folks geared up to give, certain participants smartly turn the online push into a party, like the Martinez Street Women’s Center’s Big ’18 Bash, featuring live local music by AMEA, Soulstairs, Daniela Riojas, Jeff Palacios, Alex Paul Scheel and Andria Rose & The Youth ($5, 6pm-midnight, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St.). $10 minimum donation, midnight-11:59pm, thebiggivesa.org.
Get our top picks for the best events in San Antonio every Thursday morning. Sign up for our Events Newsletter.