FEATURE ARTICLE: Breaking Records & Transforming Lives-The collective Success of Give Local 757!

​How community generosity, powerful partnerships, and nonprofit leadership raised over $1.66M for Hampton Roads.

This year, the heart of Hampton Roads shone brighter than ever before during the 13th annual Give Local 757 giving day. In an era where the world's challenges can feel overwhelming, Hampton Roads responded beautifully to our call to action. Our community looked at what was right in front of us—our neighbors and local organizations—and we showed up. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of residents, businesses, and advocates, we didn't just meet our goals—we expanded them, setting historic milestones that build long-term, sustainable capacity for local organizations.

​Together, our community raised a record-breaking $1,666,297 through an astonishing 17,175 donations!​​

​“When you gave local this year, you invested directly in the infrastructure of your own community, supporting the family three doors down, the student in the local classroom, and the shelter in your own ZIP code.” — Tammy Flynn, Director of Give Local 757

​Give Local 2026: By The Numbers
​
The 24-hour giving day was filled with extraordinary energy, anchored by major community investments and a shared ecosystem of support where a rising tide lifts all organizations. This year, our biggest highlights include: 

• 94% of participating organizations successfully secured vital funding.
• $1,666,297 invested directly into our community.
• 17,175 individual gifts.
• 10,011 passionate donors—with 48% discovering and supporting a new cause for the very first time.
• $50,000 single largest individual donation.
• $100,000 largest nonprofit matching grant ever received for give local 757 by an organization, amplifying the power of every dollar raised to a remarkable $225,000 in total.
• 262 participating regional nonprofits representing all Hampton Roads cities and counties.
• $38,241 awarded in bonus prize money across 64 distinct prizes.​

​From Humble Beginnings to a Force for Good
To truly appreciate the magnitude of this year’s success, we have to look back to where it all began. When Give Local 757 launched back in 2014, the event was created with a core mission: to build long-term capacity for local nonprofits by teaching them how to master online giving and market their causes on social media.

Back then, the digital landscape looked vastly different. Remarkably, 95% of participating organizations at the time did not even have social media platforms or the ability to accept digital donations. That first year, fewer than 100 participating

nonprofits raised a modest but impressive $140,000. ​​Fast forward to 2026. In only 13 years, Give Local 757 has grown into an absolute force for good in local philanthropy. With this year’s record-breaking numbers officially included, our community has raised a grand total of $15,719,513 for hundreds of local causes since the initiative's inception

Bridging the Waterways: A Regional Triumph
Hampton Roads is a region of extraordinary bridges and waterways built to connect us, but too often, we let the water separate us. Give Local 757 serves as our annual, intentional bridge and tunnel—a unifying service story that brings both sides of the water together. While the Peninsula Community Foundation proudly anchors this initiative, it is a true cross-regional triumph made possible by our loyal partners at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, which has supported this unifying day for all 13 years.

​​“TowneBank is honored to partner with Give Local 757 to champion the organizations and volunteers that make this region thrive. We are inspired by the thousands of people across Hampton Roads who came together, demonstrating the true power of community and all that we can achieve together.”
— Rob Shuford, Peninsula Chairman, TowneBank

​Unmatched Support from Our Media and Corporate Partners
Building a movement takes a village, and our premier partners ensured that the entire region was aware and tuned into Give Local 757.
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TowneBank: As our dedicated presenting sponsor and a pillar of our community, TowneBank once again demonstrated its profound generosity as a true partner. A major highlight of the day was the "Going To Towne Volunteer Heroes" challenge, a special initiative highlighting the tireless volunteers who serve as the backbone of local organizations. Furthermore, Peninsula Chairman Rob Shuford stepped up in every way, investing his own substantive personal time leading training sessions to ensure nonprofits made the most of the day.

​13News Now: Our generous media partners brought the excitement of giving day right into everyone's living rooms. With deep-dive feature stories, live interviews, and real-time leaderboard updates throughout the day on every single broadcast on-air and streaming through their app, 13News Now kept the momentum surging around the clock.​

Sail Beyond Cancer's Executive Director, Kim Lawver and Sabrina Sklute, 2025 Respite Sail Honoree.

The Power of PR: Spotlighting PRSA Hampton Roads
Our success this year wouldn't have been possible ​without getting the word out far and wide, and for that, we are deeply grateful to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Hampton Roads Chapter.

Coordinated by Dr. Steffon Campbell, the PRSA Hampton Roads Public Service team of communication leaders—alongside Hampton University (HU) and Old Dominion University (ODU) PRSSA faculty and students—stepped up to provide crucial pro bono public relations work. They ensured that our local nonprofits stayed front and center in the hearts and minds of Hampton Roads residents, generating a marvelous new wave of support for the giving day.​

“This year’s results reflect the continued power of partnership between donors, nonprofits, and the wider community who keep the story moving. We were grateful to stand alongside Peninsula Community Foundation to help raise visibility and drive momentum for Give Local 757.”
​— Dr. Steffon Campbell, PRSA Hampton Roads Public Service Chair

The Power of Being Present: Stories from Businesses of the Heart 
Our regional nonprofits are true businesses of the heart. They are the moral center of what makes Hampton Roads great, but they are also vital economic engines that provide jobs, manage complex logistics, and deliver essential services. The local impact is best described by the nonprofits themselves:

“Give Local 757 reminds people they can help their neighbors in small but meaningful ways. Through the power of collective giving, our community can support one another and make the 757 a better place for everyone. Give Local helps amplify both large and small nonprofits, allowing organizations like ours to grow our supporter base and expand the impact we make in the community.” — Stephanie Taylor, Marketing and Fundraising Chair, Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center

​“What I love most is that it reminds people that local impact is personal. It happens through relationships, conversations, introductions, and people simply deciding to care about one another. Give Local amplifies the many nonprofits across our region doing truly vital work and helps the broader community better understand just how valuable and essential those organizations are to the health and well being of our Peninsula.” — Ann-Marie Cochran, Special Olympics Virginia Beach

​​“Give Local 757 has become a spring tradition for us, not just as a fundraiser, but as a community movement. Year after year, it gives us an opportunity to invite people into the THRIVE story in a bigger way. Volunteers, donors, ambassadors, board members, friends…everyone starts sharing with their own circles, and that ripple effect continues to grow.” — Caroline Dutle, Director of Community Giving, Thrive Peninsula

By bridging our iconic waterways and locking arms to address the needs right in front of us, Hampton Roads has written an unforgettable chapter of collective generosity. Ultimately, this year stands as definitive proof that the true impact of Give Local 757 isn't measured solely in dollars raised—it's measured in the lives changed when a community chooses to show up for each other.

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