Twelve years ago Erin Reed was the only full-time staff member of the Trinity Jubilee Center, which operates a soup kitchen, food pantry, day shelter, immigrant integration service and resource center.

There are now five full-time staff members and soon it will move into its new $5.1 million center at 123 Bates St. in Lewiston.

Reed credits the small $25 and $50 donations it has received over the years.

“It’s so important to give locally,” she said. “National nonprofits, they do great work but there’s often a main chapter or a main version that you could give to. The smaller the budget of the group you’re giving to, the bigger the impact your donation makes.”

Though fundraising is Reed’s least favorite part of the job, it is a crucial aspect of nonprofits’ ability to operate, she said.

Every dollar invested into a local nonprofit is invested back into the organization’s efforts to help the community, Community Clinical Services CEO Coleen Elias said.

Many nonprofits operate in negative funding margins, particularly health centers like Community Clinical Services in Lewiston, which offer primary care and behavioral health services, she said. Every little bit helps, even donations as little as $10 per week.

“It also gives us hope because it shows us that there are people out there that are willing to invest back into us like we have been investing into our community for all of these years,” she said.

For Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, when it experiences fundraising success, it also helps many other nonprofits across the state operating food pantries, Robin McCarthy, chief advancement officer, said.

“There are lots of nonprofits in every community that don’t have everything they need and I hope that people who are in a position to help will, of course, think of Good Shepherd Food Bank, but also look around and see what the organizations are in their communities that are making a difference on the issues that are really important to them,” she said. “Because I think there has been so much uncertainty that a lot of people really need extra right now.”

There are various ways to research what nonprofits are in your community, including through ProPulica’s Nonprofit Explorer or GuideStar’s nonprofit database. There is also a statewide nonprofit membership organization called Maine Association of Nonprofits with information about nonprofits in its network.

For more information on how to donate to the Trinity Jubilee Center visit trinityjubileecenter.org/donate/. To reach Community Clinical Services visit its Giving the Gift of Health webpage at communityclinicalservices.org. For Good Shepherd Food Bank visit its website at gsfb.org/ and click on the donation button. To reach Spurwink, visit its website and donate through its online form at spurwink.org/donate/#donateform.