What if one day could change an entire community? In St. Augustine, that day is almost here. Giving Day 2026 kicks off Wednesday, May 6 at noon and runs through Thursday, May 7 at 11:59 a.m., opening a 24-hour window for residents, businesses, and supporters near and far to rally behind the nonprofits that shape the fabric of this city. What began as a simple idea has grown into one of the most impactful days of giving in Northeast Florida and at the center of it all is one man’s vision.
Brad Layland, a local entrepreneur and nonprofit strategist, is widely recognized as the driving force behind Giving Day. As the owner of Endless Summer Realty and founder of The FOCUS Group, Layland has spent years helping nonprofits strengthen their fundraising and outreach. But in 2019, he set out to do something bigger. A goal to create a platform that could elevate not just one organization, but an entire community at once. That idea became Giving Day.
Designed as a 24-hour online giving event, Giving Day empowers anyone to become a philanthropist, regardless of the size of their gift. The concept is simple: when thousands of people give together, even modest donations can create extraordinary impact. Over time, that idea has evolved into a movement, one that has reshaped how St. Augustine thinks about generosity.
The numbers tell part of the story. In 2025, Giving Day raised $761,315 from 2,534 donors in a single day, benefiting more than 75 nonprofits. With an additional $37,500 in prize funding, the total impact reached over $798,500 distributed across the community. Organizers say the goal for 2026 is even greater: more donors, more nonprofits, and an even stronger ripple effect of giving.
That growth is fueled by a unique partnership model. Giving Day is hosted by the John 1:16 Foundation, with sponsorship from Endless Summer Realty, The FOCUS Group, and the National Christian Foundation. Together, they’ve created a collaborative platform where nonprofits can share their missions, engage supporters, and amplify their impact all within a single, unified event.
For organizations like the St. Johns Housing Partnership, Giving Day is an opportunity to accelerate life-changing work. Their focus on creating clean, safe, affordable housing for families across the county is supported in part by the momentum of this one-day campaign. With prize incentives ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 based on fundraising performance and donor engagement, nonprofits are able to rally their communities in real time, turning urgency into action.
At Habitat for Humanity of St. Johns County, that urgency is deeply tied to the reality of the local housing market. Habitat is currently the only builder in the county helping low- to middle-income neighbors purchase a home where they work, with homes starting in the mid-$200,000s. Since 1993, the organization has helped nearly 200 individuals and families achieve homeownership, and almost 80 percent are still living in those homes today. Through Giving Day, Habitat is working to expand that impact even further, leveraging nearly $10,000 in pledged matching gifts to double donations and encouraging supporters across the country (and even around the world) to participate in ways that unlock additional prize funding.
Other nonprofits are using the day to invest in the future. At Veritas Classical School, Giving Day supports education rooted in character, leadership, and academic excellence, strengthening connections between families and the broader community. For organizations like EPIC Behavioral Healthcare and St. Augustine Youth Services, it provides critical funding for mental health services and support for children in need.
And then there are the moments that don’t show up in fundraising totals.
A volunteer with Pie in the Sky, a nonprofit that delivers fresh produce to homebound seniors, describes what those donations look like in real life. Each week, they load their car with bags of food, but what they’re really delivering is connection. One senior greets them with, “You’re my Wednesday blessing,” while another quietly leaves handwritten notes of thanks. These small interactions reveal something deeper: hunger is not just about food, but about loneliness and the fear of being forgotten. Every delivery is a reminder that someone cares.
That is the ripple effect Layland envisioned from the beginning.
By bringing together nonprofits, businesses, and donors for one focused day, Giving Day transforms individual acts of generosity into something collective and powerful. It has helped shape a culture where giving is not just something people do occasionally, but something they do together.
As May 6 approaches, the opportunity is simple and immediate. Starting at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, through 11:59 a.m. on Thursday, May 7, anyone can participate by visiting the official Giving Day platform, choosing a nonprofit, and making a gift of any size. Donations made within that window are the ones that count toward prizes, matching funds, and the collective impact.
