By Tracy Pope
Special to The PREVIEW
The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado is spearheading a regional effort to increase local participation in Colorado Gives Day.
Colorado Gives is an easy, online initiative for donors to contribute to nonprofits across Colorado. Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 4, is organized by the Community First Foundation, which hosts a year-round, statewide electronic giving platform featuring almost 2,500 Colorado nonprofits (coloradogives.org). Last year on Colorado Gives Day, $36.6 million was donated statewide, with $209,665 going to nonprofits in Southwest Colorado.
The Community Foundation has created a regional platform through Colorado Gives (swcogives.org) which hosts 65 participating nonprofits from La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta and San Juan counties. Collaborative marketing efforts are underway to get word out to potential donors that philanthropy is just a click away, encouraging people to give where they live.
Donors can visit swcogives.org now and schedule their donation for Dec. 4.
“The Community Foundation is pleased to provide leadership on this important boost to philanthropy in our corner of the state,” said Briggen Wrinkle, executive director of the Community Foundation. “Colorado Gives Day has been very successful on the front range, and we are excited to enhance participation in our region. We encourage donors to give where they live, because local philanthropy makes our communities stronger.”
This is the second year the Community Foundation has acted as a Regional Champion, seeing nonprofit and donor participation climb by more than 50 percent year over year.
The following Archuleta County nonprofits are participating on the platform and are able to receive online donations: Aspire, Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, Humane Society of Pagosa Springs, Justice Ministries of Pagosa, Rise Above Violence and Sonlight Adventures Inc.
Any of these nonprofits would be happy to be contacted to discuss their efforts to increase local participation in Colorado Gives Day.
For more information, visit www.swcogives.org or call 375-5807.
