ColoradoGives.org

By Dana Rinderknecht, GivingFirst Manager I can’t believe that it is almost here. After over a year of planning, we are working on reviewing new participant profiles and ensuring that current participant profiles are up to date for Colorado Gives Day. What an amazing, amazing group of nonprofits we have on GivingFirst.org. As I have been reviewing and updating profiles, I have started the thought process on how I will donate on Colorado Gives Day. First, of course, I will donate to the three main nonprofits who I give to on at least an annual basis. My old favorites! These are the ones that have impacted my life and I will always love and support. But who else can I support? This is a great time to look at the impact of other nonprofits  in our community. Who else speaks to my heart but whom I have not personally been involved? Since I have the unique pleasure of reviewing nonprofit information for my job, I always start with looking at their mission. What do they do in the c...

By Angela Bevacqua, Communications Specialist It’s just over a month until Colorado Gives Day, and things are really heating up. On November 1, more than 120 nonprofits submitted profiles, and Dana is hunkered down to make sure they are all thoroughly reviewed before going live. It’s been inspiring to see all of the energy and creative ideas that nonprofits are putting into Colorado Gives Day. Here is a sampling: Work Options for Women Want to dine and donate at the same time? Head down to Café Options at 1650 Curtis Street in downtown Denver. This café, run by Work Options for Women (WOW), will have computer kiosks set up to take your donation during breakfast and lunch on December 8. What’s more, the café’s staff will serve special treats for donors. More information about the day’s activities will be posted at http://workoptions.org/colorado-gives-day.html. Café Options is a fast casual restaurant serving breakfast and lunch from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Frida...

By Angela Bevacqua Now that’s community spirit! Word reached my desk this morning that the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce and 14 nonprofits in the area are partnering together for Colorado Gives Day . Several Evergreen, Colorado, businesses are also showing their support by offering discounts and thank you gifts to donors on December 8. Michelle Mohnhaupt, who oversees the Evergreen Chamber’s nonprofit members, explained that the idea developed at a recent meeting for the group. And the concept has been steam-rolling ever since. Summer is busy in Evergreen, Michelle explained, but it really drops off in the winter. Both for-profits and nonprofits hurt at the end of the year. But by collaborating to support local giving on Colorado Gives Day , the chamber, nonprofits and businesses will be infusing energy into their town during the dead of winter. Here’s what will be happening in Evergreen this December 8: Four businesses will host online giving at their locations, ...

By Angela Bevacqua, communications specialist at Community First Foundation One year ago, when the team at Community First Foundation began germinating the idea of a Colorado Gives Day , we knew we were fortunate: we weren’t re-creating the wheel. In fact, six regions in the U.S. had successfully launched an online giving day. We were especially intrigued by Give to the Max Day in Minnesota and Match Day in Pittsburgh. What we learned helped us shape Colorado Gives Day. We wanted to bring the advantage of learning from experience to Colorado nonprofits, too. So in August we conducted a webinar called “Giving Days: Fundraising Techniques That Work.” It featured nonprofits in Minnesota and Pittsburgh that successfully raised money during their states’ online giving day. It was a chance for Colorado nonprofits to ask questions and start thinking about their own plans for Colorado Gives Day . An All-In-One Campaign Betsy McDermott Altheimer, development program director for Spr...

Why do you give? By Bryce Wilkinson,  project coordinator at Community First Foundation It’s a simple question, but the answers tend to be more complicated. Sometimes it’s because you heard a story which moved you to action. Other times the connection isn’t with the cause itself but a person you know; your friend asked you to donate or your uncle works at this nonprofit, so you donate to it. Personal reasons – your wife is a breast cancer survivor or you enjoy gardening – can also prompt you to donate Often, though, there is some combination of factors swirled together in just the right way at just the right time that compels you to give. A recent donation I made had a number of contributing factors behind it. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer for two years in Niger, West Africa. During that time, I had my fair share of parasites from contaminated water. The other day I read an article about illnesses resulting from contaminated water which made me remember how difficult it ...

By Mike Jackson I love Colorado! I’ve lived in this state more than 30 years and appreciate the gift we all share of living in this beautiful place. As the director of nonprofit relations and services, I help nonprofit organizations look for funding, invest for their future, and prepare for tomorrow. I regularly meet with nonprofit professionals who work day-in-and-day-out to tell their organization’s story and recruit charitable support from the public. What always stands out to me is both the good work being done and the amount of work there is to do. From feeding the hungry to protecting the environment, the need is out there. But the resources just aren’t keeping up. With the launch of Colorado Gives Day —our initiative to help Colorado nonprofits through online giving—we are reaching out to local businesses for support. I’m especially impressed with FirstBank, our presenting partner. FirstBank is a local Colorado company. Their investment in the nonprofit sector over the...

By Dana Rinderknecht, GivingFirst Manager We all hear it over and over again – you need to craft a clear, concise, compelling message about your organization. At the same time, the Internet is overwhelming with the amount of information that you can find, let alone try to digest. I know that when I am searching for information, if I don’t find it immediately, I am on to the next place. If it is really important to me and I think I’m on the right track, I may click a couple more times, but it has to be something I really need or want. My attention span can be that of an infant or a gnat. So, my nonprofit friends, as you start to work on your GivingFirst profile for the first time, or if you are looking at it again after some time, put on your donor internet-user glasses. Open up your profile or that of an organization you know and click around. What do you look at first? What catches your eye? What do you wish was included? As a donor, the items I tend to look for most often are: numb...