In one day—just 24 short hours—in May 2014, we raised $1.5 million to benefit 525 local nonprofits. As Middle Tennesseans, we answered the call of those 525 banded-together nonprofits to give back. It just makes sense that so many decided to give back—and donated so much. Which of us hasn’t personally benefited in some way from the work of local nonprofits, religious institutions and schools?

We say: If you Live Here, you should Give Here.

This year, 755 local nonprofits are again joining forces as part of The Big Payback to encourage local folks to invest in this community we all love. On May 5, from the stroke of midnight to the stroke of midnight, as a community we will have 24 hours to make it possible for the nonprofits that support us to continue their life saving and life enhancing work.

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The Big Payback is a one-day-only, community-wide online giving challenge hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. It is the easiest, fastest and best way to give to the local, hands-on nonprofits that serve your friends and neighbors in need and make Middle Tennessee cleaner, safer and more beautiful.

Any time on Tuesday, May 5 anyone can visit TheBigPayback.org and make donations to his or her choice of participating local nonprofits. The website lets donors view and select one or many nonprofits based on location, the charitable work they do, and who they serve. Gifts of any amount, from $10 and up, are welcome. And, if you help, your favorite nonprofits will be eligible to win bonuses throughout the day from a pool of $240,000 in cash prizes.

Think of the local nonprofits that have benefited you and your family: a school, a library, the hospital in which you were born, an animal shelter, a museum, a clinic, a theater or dance performance, a religious institution.
The work local nonprofits do is vital and has a direct influence on each of us, yet their local efforts can be dwarfed by national charities with bigger marketing budgets. Change this dynamic on May 5.

If you believe in shopping locally—in keeping more revenue in the local economy and creating economic stability here at home—then consider the importance of giving locally too. It has the same effect, making people’s lives better right here in our own backyard.

Last year’s Big Payback proved the point. And it proved we can make a big difference in a short period of time. During last year’s 24 hours of giving, Middle Tennesseans donated more than $1,000 a minute. This year, with more nonprofits and more community support, the opportunities to make a difference will be greater and the impact on the community will be more profound.

So, jumpstart your giving in 2015 by getting in on The Big Payback! On May 5, simply pull out your phone or tablet, or sit down at your computer and go to TheBigPayback.org. Pay it forward by giving your favorite nonprofits the funding necessary to make all of our futures brighter.

Ellen Lehman has served The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee as president since it began in 1991, and has seen it grow to become a philanthropic force in a forty-county area in Middle Tennessee.