There are 12 months in the year, but for many nonprofits focused on fundraising, the holiday months around Thanksgiving and Christmas are all-important.
This is the time when most people decide to open their pocketbooks in a show of generosity.
United Way of Southwest Colorado, which distributes money to 39 nonprofits in the five-county region, raised 83 percent of its funds last year from November through February, said Lynn Urban, the group’s president and CEO. Another way to look at it: United Way raised about $2,000 in July 2015 compared with $114,000 in December 2015.
Durango Food Bank raises 85 to 90 percent of its annual operating budget November through January, said Sarah Smith, director of the food bank. Food donations come in year-round, especially from grocery stores, but residents give the bulk of their food donations around the holidays
The Adaptive Sports Association receives more than 50 percent of its individual donations during November and December, said Ann Marie Meighan, executive director. The fund-raising frenzy coincides with the start of the agency’s winter season, which helps put Adaptive Sports on the forefront of people’s minds, she said.
Why so much giving during these few months?
All three nonprofits said a couple of factors are at play. For one, it’s the holiday season – a time when residents are enjoying gifts, family and big meals. They’re also reflecting on what has given their lives meaning. It bothers some to think less-fortunate residents are unable to partake in the same indulgences.
“When you imagine someone doing without something that is really important to you during the holidays ... it makes me want to do something about it,” Urban said.
It’s also a good time to give for tax purposes, Urban said.
“They may look at their entire year of finances and decide they could benefit by making a gift,” she said. “That just shows people are being thoughtful about their finances and doing something that is a win-win – helps them and charities.”
United Way works with companies to allow employees to donate a part of their paycheck year-round. One of her favorite examples of this involves a man who used to receive services from the Bridge Shelter in Cortez, which United Way serves. The man was hired to work part-time for the shelter, and he decided to give 25 cents from every paycheck.
“That gift, which may look tiny to a lot of people, was really meaningful,” Urban said. “I don’t think people should always worry so much about how much they’re giving, but just the meaning of giving and being a part of the community is huge.”
Financial donations are easy to deal with when they flood in, but food donations are a little more tricky, Smith said.
The food bank serves 100 households, and each family receives about 120 pounds of food per week, which is more than 500,000 pounds of food per year. When a huge influx of food comes in during a two-month period – November and December – finding storage can be difficult.
“It’s just piled up, and we’re doing our best to organize and get things ready for rotation,” Smith said. “It does make things difficult to distribute in an efficient way.”
Not that the food bank doesn’t want or need those food donations this time of year; rather, it just wishes it had more space to accommodate the influx, Smith said.
Families come together around food this time of year, and they feel better emotionally when they can share the same joy with others, she said.
“We all are looking for that feel-good donation, and the holidays just tend to lend themselves toward reflecting on how you’re blessed in your own life, and maybe it encourages that sharing of abundance with others,” she said.
Nonprofits also count on donations this time of year to set budgets for next year, she said.
“It’s really critical that people know we rely on their donations, and this is the time where we’re setting that budget and making sure we’re operational for next year.”
shane@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story named the wrong shelter where a man used to receive services but later obtained a job and donated 25 cents of every paycheck.
