ColoradoGives.org

By Lisa Lujan, Online Giving Coordinator Should we be on Instagram? I’ve heard that Snapchat is the latest, can you get us on that? Is Google+ still relevant? Why aren’t we on YouTube? If you’re like me, not only have you heard some of these questions before, you’ve asked them of yourself. The truth is there are a LOT of ways to use social media to engage with your audience today. It seems like I can’t get through a week without hearing about “the latest and greatest” new platform we HAVE to be on. It can definitely feel a little overwhelming at times. So how do you know if your organization should be on a specific social media platform or not? To help answer this question, I’ve come up with a few tips I’ve learned over the years to help you narrow down which platform(s) might be best for your organization. The first tip is… Know your audience . It’s an old adage, but, unlike the constantly changing tech environment we live in, it remains consistently true. If your aud...

By Dana Rinderknecht, Director of Online Giving Tuesday, May 3, was Give Local America Day 2016. This giving day allows communities around the country to do something similar to Colorado Gives Day. This year there was a technology glitch in most of the communities causing the online fundraising platform, Kimbia, to go down for almost 10 hours in the middle of the day. I was asked by Beth Kanter to write a blog about our crisis planning process for Colorado Gives Day, and we thought Colorado Nonprofits might find this informative. Lessons from Give Local America Day On Give Local America Day community foundations across the country rally to support local nonprofits in what is marketed as the largest community-driven crowdfunding event of the year. As a self-proclaimed Gives Day Junkie, I love giving days. We have not participated in Give Local America Day, but ColoradoGives.org has completed six gives days and over the course of these we have raised over $111 million dollars fo...

By Angela Bevacqua, Senior Communications Specialist We’re back with the second half of our discussion about how to read Form 990. Our first blog explained the purpose and value of Form 990 and how the summary page can give us a quick snapshot of a nonprofit’s financial health. Now we learn how to dig a little deeper. Q: Beyond the Form 990 summary page, what other sections can help a donor evaluate a nonprofit’s financial health? The most common areas that are relevant to donors are: Part VI: Governance, Management & Disclosure Sections A & B. These sections are a series of questions about a nonprofit’s board of directors and its policies. Section A discloses how the nonprofit is managed and governed. Section B discloses the policies the board has adopted. Many of the policies referenced, such as a Conflict of Interest policy, are considered best practices for nonprofits operations. Part VIII: Statement of Revenue Types of Funding. This secti...

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 organiza...

Would a change of scenery inject new life into your planning meetings and retreats? Is your office lacking the space and technology you need to conduct an effective training session? Is the cost of renting a meeting room just too prohibitive?   Community First Foundation recently built a spacious, beautiful new meeting area specifically for nonprofit needs like this. By offering the space free of charge , we are delivering on one of our strategic priorities to strengthen nonprofits. Features of New Meeting Space One of Five Complimentary Meeting Room Options Available to Nonprofits Five room options  The largest space accommodates up to 56 people and is ideal for trainings and breakout sessions. Brand new facility   Attractive furnishings and everything in working order means you will make a great impression. Latest technology Polycom conferencing phones and audio conferencing accommodate off-site participants. Numerous windows Natural light brightens t...

Christy Bergman Ali Brieske To expand upon the discussion of retaining your new Colorado Gives Day donors, this week we are featuring excerpts from a blog by Director of Resource Development Christy Bergman and Marketing & Business Development Associate Ali Brieske from JVA . JVA provides social enterprises, nonprofits and government agencies with the tools and resources they need to succeed, sustain and scale. Ali:  Now that we have these new donors, how do we keep them? Christy:   Great question—and the most important. It is far less expensive to keep a current donor than it is to find a new one. And retention is really all about stewardship—the process of thanking, recognizing and communicating impact to your donors. Stewardship is what keeps retention rates high, and even makes upgrades possible. When your donors are happy, it means that you know who they are and why they give. You’re making it clear that their investment is meaningful and appre...

by Lisa Lujan Whew! We made it. Colorado Gives Day is over, time to sit back, relax and completely ignore everything having to do with Colorado Gives Day until next year, right? Not exactly. In fact, Colorado Gives Day is just the first step in a series of steps towards turning that one-time donor into a lifetime supporter. Let’s start with the basics. Have you thanked your donors? This very important relationship-building step is vital to letting donors know how much they’re appreciated (read our Don’t Let them Get Away  blog or watch our Nurturing Long Lasting Relationships with Your Donors after Colorado Gives Day webinar, both from 2014). Keep it personal and remember you’re cultivating a relationship; you wouldn’t send your grandma a form letter if she gave you a card for your birthday, would you? So why do that to your donors? Yes, it’s a little different, but you get the idea. So now that you’ve done this important first step, what's next? Well, a great ...