ColoradoGives.org

By Kayla Arnesen, Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications Last December, did you tweet about #COGivesDay? Did you post a yard sign? Did you share a ColoradoGives news story with a friend? If you did, then thank you for being part of Colorado Gives Day’s marketing magic! Colorado Gives Day is more than just a day, it’s a statewide movement to inspire giving. One of the greatest benefits of being a ColoradoGives nonprofit in December is being able to market your organization as part of the state’s largest day of giving. At Community First Foundation, the marketing and communications team worked to elevate excitement for Colorado Gives Day to a fever pitch leading up to December 6, 2016. The results were outstanding: generous donors gave $33.8 million to more than 2,000 nonprofits on ColoradoGives.org . We wanted to share a few fun highlights! Media relations and community outreach from August to December 2016 resulted in: 759 news stories for a total pot...

By Dana Rinderknecht, Director of Online Giving I spend a great deal of time talking to nonprofits and donors; it is the best part of my job. Telling complete strangers what I do can result in some truly amazing stories about why they donate on Colorado Gives Day. My favorite was the donor who told me she thought it should be a national holiday! My least favorite thing is to hear from donors who love giving, but then never receive a thank you from the organization. We need to celebrate and appreciate these donors who take the time to go to ColoradoGives.org, search for their favorite nonprofits and make a gift. Community First Foundation sends each donor their receipt, but it is still the responsibility of individual nonprofits to thank these donors. It is the nonprofit’s responsibility to cultivate relationships with donors to turn them into long-term supporters. As we move into 2017, let’s all set the goal of making this the year of thanking donors. The #GivingTuesday mo...

By Marla J. Williams, President and CEO of Community First Foundation A child gives up his or her allowance to help a nonprofit charity. A community member discovers a new organization they’re passionate about just down the street. A nonprofit serving home bound seniors is able to deliver 20 percent more meals next year. After seven years, I am still stunned by the ripple effect of Colorado Gives Day . The numbers are always incredible. This year, donations totaled $33.8 million. Generous donors made more than 145,700 gifts to 2,111 nonprofits in just 24 hours. These numbers represent the extraordinary generosity of individuals all across the state. Thank you for your contributions yesterday and for being part of the Colorado Gives Day movement. As we look at the far-reaching effects of Colorado Gives Day, the best indicator of what's to come may be our newest program, Kids for ColoradoGives. A portion of the $33.8 million raised yesterday came through KidsforCol...

Meet the Online Giving Team Ever wonder what’s happening behind the scenes on Colorado Gives Day? Answering questions, processing donations and communicating progress is an all-hands-on-deck affair at Community First Foundation, but there are three staff members who really keep the ColoradoGives.org wheels turning, today and every day. Meet the online giving team!   Meet Dana Rinderknecht, director of online giving Q. What’s your role on the team? A. I raise awareness of the program and keep it moving forward with exciting new ideas like KidsforColoradoGives.org . Q. What’s the coolest thing about ColoradoGives.org most people don’t know? A. That you can set up ongoing, regular donations to your favorite nonprofit to support them year-round. This gives them funds they can rely on and helps you spread out your cost. Q. What are your personal charitable passions? A. For me, it’s about making the world a better place. Q. What are you most lookin...

By Dana Rinderknecht, Director of Online Giving at Community First Foundation Colorado Gives Day is coming! Once again it is time to make your list and, like Santa, check it twice! As you craft your list, the wonderful thing about ColoradoGives.org , the online giving platform for Colorado Gives Day , is that you can learn more about the nonprofits you already support as well as others you didn’t realize were out there doing good work. This year we have more than 2,000 nonprofits from all over the state of Colorado participating. You might ask yourself, “What can I learn about these nonprofits?” and, “Where do I start?” Go to ColoradoGives.org and  search . You can search by name, cause, or location. For instance, if you want to find out which nonprofits are working in your neighborhood, type in your zip code and press “Go.” When you see one you like, click “Learn More” on the widget to view the profile . The first tab is an overview of the program, starting with p...

By Samantha Barlow, Communications Coordinator at Community First Foundation Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us in a wave of late night lines and busy websites; today is #GivingTuesday. In Colorado, the way we participate in #GivingTuesday is by scheduling our Colorado Gives Day donations. This year, our Colorado Gives Day Rally  coincides with #GivingTuesday to remind Coloradans to give where they live. The Rally is the last “big hurrah” before Colorado Gives Day and takes place on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol. Nonprofit representatives show up in costumes, FirstBank conducts five cash prize drawings, and the Governor officially proclaims December 6, 2016, as Colorado Gives Day. Sixteen-year-old Allison Winn of the Stink Bug Project is also talking all about KidsforColoardoGives.org as the place for kids in the Colorado Gives Day movement. Nonprofits and Coloradans across the state will continue to rally support for their causes in the l...

By Samantha Barlow, Communications Coordinator at Community First Foundation Karma Lynne is 10 years old. She’s a fifth grader, a Lakewood resident and a community volunteer. She’s also a Kid for ColoradoGives! Kids for ColoradoGives is a new program that allows young donors to experience the joy of giving. Community First Foundation created KidsforColoradoGives.org , a kid-friendly component of the ColoradoGives.org website, to connect the next generation of Colorado givers with local nonprofit organizations. This weekend, we interviewed Karma about her experience using the new site. Q. What did you think when your grandmother, Lynne Valencia, asked you to check out KidsforColoradoGives.org with her? A. I was excited to give money to places that help others. I never knew there were so many organizations in Colorado that do good. Q. Did you learn something new on KidsforColoradoGives.org? A. I really liked looking for organizations that help animals....