Winning Ways: What Nonprofits Have to Say About Excelling on Colorado Gives Day

By Angela Bevacqua, Senior Communications Specialist

My favorite webinar to put together is the one that shares the strategic and creative ways nonprofits promote Colorado Gives Day. If you missed this recent webinar, watch the recording here for some inspiration for your own promotional plans! This and other related videos can be found in the Colorado Gives Day NonprofitToolkit.

Here are some takeaways I compiled from Wendy White’s (Executive Director of Larimer Chorale) segment, representing a small nonprofit:

Make sure your board of directors and volunteers are your advocates. They can create fundraising pages that reach new donors.
Finish your ColoradoGives profile as early as possible so you can link to it in all of your electronic materials.
Push hard for donations when scheduled donations begin on November 1 so people can take action right away.
Give people something to aim for, such as “help us raise money to build our orchestra.”
Emphasize that you have been vetted by Community First Foundation to participate in ColoradoGives.

Maggie Schlundt and Sarah Wallace with Creede Repertory Theater shared these thoughts:

Make sure you create a marketing strategy with a timeline and goals.
If you set a goal, make sure you keep people updated on how you are doing, and whether you meet the goal.
Thank you's are so important. Follow-up is just as important (if not more), as lead-up.
Solicit your own match to motivate donors.
Connect supporters with you through lots of different avenues.

Amy Farnan and Becky Plunkett with Craig Hospital Foundation, said:

Capitalize on and share personal stories of clients/patients who can be your ambassadors.
Strategy is really important. Figure out how to stand out and get your message across.
Promote scheduled donations on Giving Tuesday (December 1 this year).
Get your board and staff on board to share your message!
Your board members are usually among your largest donors; encourage them to make their annual gift to you on Colorado Gives Day. If you’re in the midst of a capital campaign, encourage your donors to make their donations on Colorado Gives Day.

Watch the recording to get even more gems of advice.

Comments

Blog 1: Tips on How to Read Form 990

By Angela Bevacqua, Senior Communications Specialist Have you ever been advised to look at a nonprofit’s Form 990 before making a donation? Then you look at it and wonder how to make sense of it all? If you aren’t an accountant or nonprofit administrator, you may avoid the daunting task. On our online giving website ColoradoGives.org, we require nonprofits to provide several documents, including the Form 990 as appropriate, to encourage transparency about their programs and finances. We don’t evaluate nonprofits on the website; we require nonprofits to share information to help donors make informed decisions about giving. I asked Community First Foundation’s finance department to help us interpret this useful document. We will do this in two blogs: Blog 1 shares the basics of Form 990 and Blog 2 delves deeper. Q: What exactly is the Form 990? Form 990, called the Return of Organizations Exempt From Income Tax, must be filed with the IRS each year by charitable organization

$36.1 million raised on Colorado Gives Day!

Marla J. Williams, president and CEO, Community First Foundation Thank you, Colorado! I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on another year of extraordinary giving. As you know, earlier this week on Colorado Gives Day people from across our state and around the country opened their hearts to give. Their generosity resulted in $36,129,285 million in donations to 2,309 Colorado nonprofit organizations. This record-breaking amount surpassed last year’s Colorado Gives Day total, which raised an impressive $33.8 million. Since its debut in 2010, Colorado Gives Day has raised more than $181 million for Colorado nonprofits. One thing is clear: generous donors and the nonprofits that inspire them are the heart of Colorado Gives Day. Although Community First Foundation provides the giving platform, participating nonprofits have taken ownership of this event and spread the word far and wide, which is the main Colorado Gives Day success story. Through your efforts every year, mo

10 Years of Giving Where You Live

Angela Bevacqua, Senior Communications Specialist Give Where You Live. I love this catchy phrase because it distills a compelling message into just four short words. We use this message to get people thinking about their communities and what they love about them. At Community First Foundation we’re celebrating the 10th Anniversary of local giving through ColoradoGives.org . This online giving website has facilitated more than $200 million in donations in the last ten years. Nonprofits in every county of the state have benefitted from Coloradans heeding the call, “Give where you live.” Learning about the troubles around the world can be overwhelming. But I know I can do something in my own small world, in my own small way. For me that means teaching English as a Second Language and donating to arts and environmental organizations in my town. My favorite arts organizations are those that open a window to other cultures and perspectives through theater and film. As part of o

ColoradoGives.org

Search This Blog