One day can make a world of difference. That day is April 25, Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s Giving Day. Our first-year hosting Spring2ACTion, 1,265 donors gave $104,156 to 47 nonprofits and we were ecstatic. Last year, 9,058 donors gave $1,592,469 to benefit 158 local nonprofits and we were blown away. That’s nearly $1.6 million in one day. Little did we know in 2011 that this online giving event would bring more than $6 million to Alexandria nonprofits over the past seven years, making it one of the most successful city-wide giving days in the country.

While the online giving event is presented by ACT for Alexandria, the community foundation, it takes an entire community to pull off this extraordinary event.

ACT trains the 164 participating nonprofits on how to use the online platform, best practices in crowd funding and peer-to-peer fundraising, which are techniques that can be integrated into nonprofit fundraising all-year round. I am in awe of the generosity of donors who give and the dedication and heart of the nonprofits leaders working tirelessly day in and day out to make Alexandria a better place for all.

April 25 is about celebrating Alexandria and we want you to be a part of it. While Spring2ACTion is an online giving event, we know giving is social so there are opportunities for you to connect with nonprofits and community members through offline events. I encourage you to check out the calendar of events on the Spring2ACTion.org site and join the fun. Support local nonprofits by supporting your favorite local businesses — shop, eat, give — it’s a win-win. Come celebrate with us at our Spring2ACTion Happy Hour from 6-8 p.m. at the new ALX Community on April 25.

Early giving, like early voting, has begun so give early and give often. If you don’t know where to give, there is an option to donate to a cause and ACT will make sure your donation is directed to where it is needed most.

Raising millions of dollars is impressive and breaking giving days records is exciting, but at the end of the day, I want you to know that every donation, no matter the size, is making a world of difference in our community and for those who call Alexandria home. Thank you for your generosity and helping to ensure Alexandria is a strong, vibrant community for all.

Visit www.Spring2ACTion.org and make your gift today. To learn how you can make a lasting difference in our community, visit www.ACTforAlexandria.org.

Brandi Yee is the chief program officer at ACT for Alexandria (ACT). Launched in 2004, ACT is a community foundation that seeks to turn ideas into actions and resources into results.