Early Giving Open Now for Give to the Max Day 2026

(KNSI) – Minnesotans don’t have to wait for Give to the Max Day to support the causes they care about.

Early giving is already open at GiveMN.org, more than a week ahead of the state’s annual giving holiday on Thursday, November 19th.

GiveMN Executive Director and CEO Jenna Ray stopped in St. Cloud this week to meet with community members and thank the area for its generosity. She says the day carries a lot of weight for smaller nonprofits, which make up most of the organizations in the state.

“Give to the Max Day might represent up to 10% or more of their annual budget for the year. It really determines what they can do to help our neighbors be fed, housed, and well in the coming year and so, it’s really crucial that we show up with what we can give.”

Organizations began fundraising November 1st, and gifts made during early giving count toward this year’s campaign. GiveMN has been handing out Golden Ticket prizes every day since then to stretch donations further. Those prizes ramp up on the 19th, with the first one awarded at 12:15 a.m. Central Minnesota organizations also have a shot at special prizes through a partnership with the Initiative Foundation.

Thousands of nonprofits and schools across the state are registered this year, and Ray told KNSI there’s no shortage of options close to home.

“We know that there are something like 200 organizations in the St. Cloud area alone. Everything from your child’s school to the rescue where you adopted your dog to your local library or your neighborhood food shelf.”

Donors can search GiveMN.org by organization name or use filters to browse by cause, keyword, ZIP code or community.

Give to the Max began in 2009 as a one-time event to launch GiveMN.org and raised $14 million in a single day. It’s now in its 18th year, and nearly one million donors have given more than $400 million to more than 14,000 nonprofits and schools. Last year set a new record, with $37.8 million raised for 6,430 organizations.

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