Seasons greetings! The holidays are here. Thanksgiving through New Years is a time of year people both love and loathe for any number of often very personal reasons. Some thrive and others just get through them. At their best, the holidays are a time of reflection and a time when people seek greater meaning and connection.
One excellent way to find both is to take advantage of Colorado Gives Day today and make a donation (at ColoradoGives.org) to one of 1,800 Colorado charities registered with and vetted by Colorado Gives. All of the participating organizations are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and are in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State.
Giving today before midnight is important to registered organizations because donations are matched by Community First Bank and the Community First Foundation and will increase the impact of a single gift. Consider this day an opportunity to make a year-end tax-deductible contribution to your favorite charity or introduce a friend or family member, via a gift donation in their name, to an organization that shares their values and does work they alone cannot.
A win-win-win, for giver, receiver and charity, one of the greatest gifts one can give a not-for-profit is a new member or donor with whom they can cultivate a sometimes life-long giving relationship. Whether through future donations, volunteering, program participation, or board service, a gift donation begins a relationship and investment in a cause the recipient believes in. That feels good for all involved.
The Colorado Gives website allows a donor to contribute to a state-wide organization or search by location for one where their gift recipient lives and may benefit from the charities’ work. For residents of La Plata County, that includes the Four Corners Office of Resource Efficiency, La Plata County Humane Society, La Plata Open Space Conservancy, Women’s Resource Center, Trails 2000 and many other worthy organizations whose programs are designed to address needs not fully met by the private or public sector, the role of a not-for-profit.
Though it is important to recognize that these organizations need our help year-round, and not just one day, today is the day to make it count most.
