Logo courtesy of Yolo Community Foundation

YOLO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - More than 150 community members gathered at Hotel Winters for Yolo Community Foundation’s annual Yolo Philanthropy Breakfast, a morning dedicated to connection, learning and collective impact across Yolo County. 

Hosted by the Yolo Community Foundation, the event brought together local leaders, nonprofit partners and donors committed to strengthening the region through philanthropy. Attendees engaged in meaningful conversations and left with a deeper understanding of how generosity of time, talent and resources can shape a thriving community. 

The program featured a presentation from Sacramento Region Community Foundation, highlighting regional trends in giving and opportunities to grow local impact. Their insights underscored the importance of collaboration and data-informed strategies in building a stronger nonprofit ecosystem. 

A highlight of the morning was a dynamic panel discussion featuring Jeneba Lahai from Yolo County Children's Alliance, Angelika Corchado from Sutter Health and Garth Lewis, superintendent of schools for Yolo County. Panelists explored the critical role nonprofits play in filling gaps when government systems are under strain, sharing real-world examples of how organizations are stepping in to meet urgent community needs. The conversation emphasized the importance of cross-sector partnerships and sustained investment to ensure vulnerable populations are not left behind. 

“The enthusiasm of nonprofit leaders, donors and supporters who gathered at the breakfast is a demonstration of what makes Yolo County nonprofits special. The care that everyone shows in the work they do to advance their nonprofit mission and the collaborative, innovative, and community building is exactly what is needed in our nonprofit sector right now” said Stacie Frerichs, Yolo Community Foundation executive director. 

The Philanthropy Breakfast began the excitement which led to the Big Day of Giving, which took place region wide on May 7. Because of generous donors and nonprofit organizations whose dedication, compassion and tireless work strengthen our communities every single day, this year’s Big Day of Giving was an incredible success, the foundation said. This year saw a record-breaking Big Day of Giving, with 62,000 donors and supporters helping bring in a total of $15,426,525, and Yolo County counting for $1,978,450 of those donations. 

Yolo Community Foundation was able to support organizations across the county at Big Day Downtown in Davis, happy hours in Winters, as well as Center for Land Based Learning in West Sacramento. 

From all of us at the Yolo Community Foundation, thank you to everyone for showing up so generously and wholeheartedly. We are deeply grateful to have you as part of our community.