Pride, Eggplants, and a Case for Spreading the Word

By Lisa Lujan, Online Giving Coordinator

I’m not going to lie, I’m proud.

I’m proud to be a part of the ColoradoGives program at Community First Foundation because I love helping other people. I’m always a little thrown back when people ask where I work, then look at me like I have eggplants growing out of my ears when I enthusiastically reply, “I’m part of the ColoradoGives program at Community First Foundation!”

Even though I’m thrown back, it’s okay. It’s okay because it’s a great opportunity to tell them what I do, how important our nonprofits are to the community, and why we should support them.

We know that for many of you, this season – especially Colorado Gives Day on December 6 – is one of the most important fundraising periods of the year. That’s why I’m encouraging you to share the ways people can get involved with ColoradoGives.org on Colorado Gives Day. Shout it from the rooftops! Tell friends and family to do the same. If we all tell one new person, think what the impact could be.

Here are the less obvious ways you and your friends and family can get involved in the excitement of the day:

Join the ColoradoGives Day Corporate Challenge presented by the Denver Business Journal or encourage other businesses to do so. In its third year, the Corporate Challenge pits companies against themselves in a fun and friendly competition to raise money for the more than 2,000 Colorado nonprofits participating in Colorado Gives Day.
Buy a GivingeCard for your favorite kiddo to use on our newest site, KidsforColoradoGives.org, to get the whole family involved in the day.
Makea fundraising page for your favorite nonprofit, email it out, put it on social media and encourage friends and family to give.
Schedule your donation! Especially on November 29, which is #GivingTuesday nationally, remember that in Colorado, the way we participate in #GivingTuesday is by scheduling our #COGivesDay donations. Of course, you can schedule a donation anytime between now and Colorado Gives Day.
Join us November 29 (#GivingTuesday) on the Capitol’s West Steps for our annual Colorado Gives Day Rally!

No matter how you choose to participate in the day, be proud, Colorado, and proud to give where you live!

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

FirstBank Sets $100,000 Aside for Nonprofit Prizes on Colorado Gives Day

By Lisa Adams, FirstBank FirstBank has been a proud supporter of Colorado Gives Day , the state’s largest online giving movement, since its launch in 2010. Everyone at FirstBank is passionate about the initiative and honored to give back to the local communities that have helped us grow and succeed. Each year, we provide more than $600,000 in support for ColoradoGives, including $100,000 that goes straight to nonprofit organizations through several fun prize programs: "Why Colorado Gives” Social Media Prizes ($1,000 each) From Monday, November 30, through Friday, December 4, FirstBank Facebook fans will have a chance to win one of fifteen $1,000 cash prizes to donate to the Colorado Gives charity of their choice. To qualify, fans will have to post a photo or video to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram about why they give. When posting your photo on Facebook make sure the privacy settings are set to public so Community First Foundation & FirstBank can view it. Posts

ColoradoGives.org

Search This Blog