Donations for Big Give SA total $3.6 million

Technical issues derail online giving

SAN ANTONIO – After technical issues shut down donations on Tuesday, the Big Give SA extended donations to Wednesday and brought in $3.6 million for South Texas nonprofit organizations.

Event organizers were hoping to build on last year's donation total of more than $4 million, but are happy with the generosity of more than 40,000 donors who gave this year.

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Organizers said they were on track to reach their goal of $6 million before a computer glitch shut down the Big Give website Tuesday morning.

“It was devastating to us and the community,” said Scott McAninch, executive director of The Nonprofit Council.

More than 50 other Give Local America giving days across the country were affected by the malfunction, which disabled the ability to donate online. Software company Kimbia was responsible for the malfunction.

Despite the glitch, millions of dollars were raised to help 1,054 nonprofits from 14 counties across South Texas.

Officials decided Tuesday afternoon to stop soliciting donations through the Big Give website until it was fixed on Wednesday. But that didn't stop people from giving.

“When we suspended giving, we encouraged donors to give to our nonprofit partners directly, which many of them did,” said Dennis Noll, CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation. “We are still compiling the totals of what the nonprofits received directly, and we will release the most accurate number possible in the next few weeks."

Click here to learn more about the Big Give SA.