With Sincere Thanks

By Marla J. Williams, president and CEO, Community First Foundation

You rock, Colorado! I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and neighbors who opened their hearts and made Colorado Gives Day a record-breaking success!

In just 24-hours, 1,442 nonprofits raised more than $20 million dollars through nearly 88,000 donations. Yes, that’s right – more than $20 million! Much as I loved watching the ticker on the website whir with generosity (and I did love it), the real success of Colorado Gives Day is not the big dollars, but the big impact those dollars will have when 1,442 organizations put them to work!

I am a believer in the adage that the scent of the rose lingers on the hand that gives it. It gives me a sense of well-being that goes beyond the numbers of the day when I think of the hope, the compassion and the joy that motivated those 88,000 donations. It tells me that, as a community, we’re going to be okay because we care.

So thank you, Colorado.

Thank you, everyone who donated so generously. May the scent of the rose linger long on your hand.

Urban Peak Highlights Homeless Youth

Thank you, nonprofits. I know your efforts began well in advance of the day, generating excitement and devising strategic and creative ways to tell your stories and highlight your work. From the folks at Urban Peak who assembled people in the cold and dark of morning to represent the 921 homeless youth who spend the night on Denver’s streets, to the “Doggie Picasso” painting event for Freedom Service Dogs, you have embraced Colorado Gives Day and made it yours.

Thank you, FirstBank. You have been by our side since the beginning and we thank you not only for your $600,000 donation, but for your encouragement, enthusiasm and great ideas. We couldn’t ask for a better corporate partner.

Thank you, Boettcher Foundation and El Pomar Foundation for your two-year, $150,000 grant to help us expand Colorado Gives Day throughout the state.

Thank you, Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, Adolph Coors Foundation, The Colorado Trust, EideBailly LLP, Innovest Portfolio Solutions, RE/MAX World Headquarters, EKS & H, The Piton Foundation, Bryan Cave LLP, and Tuthill & Hughes LLP. Your commitment reflects the broad community support that fuels Colorado Gives Day and helped us underwrite hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card fees.

Thank you, 9NEWS, Comcast, Entravision Communications, Clear Channel, Rocky Mountain PBS, Colorado Public Television (CPT12-Channel 12), and 5280 Magazine, for generously donating air time and print space to help us get the word out and promote online giving.

Thank you Community First Foundation board of directors for your leadership and support. We are so lucky to have you.

And last but not least, thank you my fabulous team at Community First Foundation. You worked together with professionalism and grace, never losing sight of our key values of integrity, service, innovation and stewardship. I know how hard you work to make fundraising just a tad easier for the nonprofits and donating just a tad easier for the community. And, yes, that ticker really was fun.