More than 30 island organizations are participating in GiveBIG — the Seattle Foundation’s annual online fundraising effort that encourages donors to “give big” to their favorite nonprofits.

The effort is a one-day event that will occur this year on Wednesday, May 10, but early giving is open now and donations can be scheduled online at

givebigseattle.org to post on the day of the event.

Among local nonprofits participating are Vashon Youth & Family Services, Voice of Vashon, The DOVE Project, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation and Vashon Forest Stewards, along with many others.

In a statement, Vashon Youth & Family Services (VYFS) Executive Director Kathleen Johnson said the organization depends on GiveBIG gifts “to ensure that every Islander has access to prevention, counseling and support services like out of school child care.” She said individual gifts like the ones received during the event make up 14 percent of the organization’s annual budget.

In its newsletter, Zero Waste Vashon (ZWV) asked donors to consider the nonprofit for GiveBIG.

“If you give to ZWV on GiveBig, you give … first, to our immediate financial and organization needs, second, through the stretch dollars from the Seattle Foundation, and third, to the future of our Island community because what we do now has a definitive effect on the future of our Island’s environment,” the newsletter stated.

Island nonprofits raised around $230,000 during last year’s GiveBIG despite website issues that prevented donations from being processed. The Vashon Schools Foundation, Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust and VYFS received the most donations.

For more information and to donate, visit givebigseattle.org.