SML Gives: Unite for a Day of Charitable Giving (2025)
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Get ready to open your hearts (and your wallets!) for SML Gives, a dynamic fundraising event to benefit nonprofits throughout the Smith Mountain Lake region.
Set for March 19, 2025, SML Gives offers organizations in Bedford and Franklin counties a platform to raise funds, increase visibility and foster community connections.
It’s also a chance for SML residents and visitors to unite, pooling resources to create a significant impact for the participating nonprofits. This year, 36 local nonprofits will attempt to raise $200,000 in just 24 hours.
The Giving Process: Online or In-Person
SML Gives 2025 will start at midnight on March 19 and run through 11:59 p.m. EST. Early giving opportunities start March 16.
Participation is open to verified 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) charitable nonprofits headquartered or providing services in Bedford County or Franklin County. Prospective organizations had to apply and meet various requirements to participate.
Sign up for our email newsletter and we’ll send you a reminder on March 19 about SML Gives!
Donations can be made securely online through the SML Gives website hosted by MightyCause. The platform provides an “add to cart” feature that allows donors to contribute to multiple organizations at once.
Donors may also contribute via check or cash to individual charities. However, they must specify that the donation is for SML Gives for it to count toward the total funds raised during the event.
An in-person donor hospitality and nonprofit fair is planned for March 16 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta. Attendees can gather more information on participating nonprofits, interact with representatives and make in-person donations.
All donations made through SML Gives 2025 are tax-deductible and non-refundable.
The Growing Legacy of SML Gives
In 2022, 13 nonprofits participated, raising over $86,000. This figure increased to more than $138,000 in 2023, with 21 nonprofits joining the campaign. in 2024, $218,451 was raised for 37 local organizations.
Smith Mountain Lake Insiders is proud to support SML Gives as a Bronze Sponsor and the participating nonprofits that form the bedrock of our community.
It is our hope that you’ll join us in making this another milestone event as we work together to foster a brighter and more prosperous future for the Smith Mountain Lake region.
Are you interested in becoming an SML Gives business sponsor? E-mail SML Good Neighbors Executive Director Lisa Lietz.
Nonprofits Participating in SML Gives 2025
- Affordable Condo Association Inc
- Barn Cat Buddies Program
- Bedford Christian Ministries Association
- Bedford Domestic Violence Coalition
- Bedford Get Together Inc
- Bedford Public Library Foundation
- Bedford Ride (Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging)
- Child Health Investment Partnership
- Children’s Assistive Technology Service
- DePaul Community Resources
- Food for Kids
- Franklin Co. Humane Society/Planned Pethood Clinic
- Franklin County Lacrosse Club
- Franklin County Library Foundation
- Free Clinic of Franklin County Inc.
- Freedoms Last Chance Inc
- Friends of Booker T. Washington National Monument
- Friends of the Moneta-Smith Mountain Lake Library Inc
- Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County
- Henry Fork Service Center
- Hope Center Ministries
- Johnson Health Center (Bedford)
- Lake Christian Ministries, Inc
- Lynchburg Daily Bread
- One Forest School Inc
- Reel Connections for Kids
- Smith Mountain Arts Council
- Smith Mountain Lake Rotary Foundation
- SML Good Neighbors, Inc.
- Southern VA Child Advocacy Center/CASA
- Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center
- STEP Empowers
- Stepping Stone Mission of Franklin County
- Stewartsville First Aid & Rescue Crew Inc
- The Agape Center Moneta
- Virginia Hunters Who Care Inc
The History and Mission of SML Gives
SML Gives was launched in 2022 by SML Good Neighbors, an organization that provides free academic, enrichment and nutritional programs to local elementary kids, when a previous regional giving day was discontinued.
The revamped event helps residents in SML’s surrounding counties who grapple with challenges such as poverty, limited access to healthcare, restricted educational opportunities and neglected or abandoned animals.
Andie Gibson
CO-PUBLISHER
Andie has been covering Smith Mountain Lake since 2000 for a variety of publications, including Smith Mountain Laker Magazine, The Roanoker, SML Visitor and Newcomer Guide, SML HOME Magazine and Life Outside. As a partner in G&C Ventures, LLC, she oversees all content for our suite of websites, including Smith-Mountain-Lake.com and LakeLubbers.com.
