Donors gave more to nonprofits in Southwest Colorado than they did last year for Colorado Gives Day.
Across a five-county region, 67 nonprofits received $231,471 from a total of 1,457 donations, said Tracy Pope, marketing and grants manager for The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado. The giving represented a 10 percent increase compared with last year, she said.
The increased giving is likely a combination of more nonprofits participating and increased awareness about Colorado Gives Day among potential donors, Pope said. Last year, 51 nonprofits in Southwest Colorado participated, receiving 696 donations.
Most of the participating nonprofits, representing causes such as education, environmental protection and the arts, are likely receiving donations through the Colorado Gives Day campaign they wouldn’t normally receive as part of their regular year-end campaigns, she said.
“We are seeing the fruits of new awareness,” Pope said.
Colorado Gives Day splits $1 million, donated by FirstBank and Community First Foundation, proportionally among nonprofits across the state based on how much they raise during the one-day fundraiser. In other words, if a single nonprofit were to collect 10 percent of all the proceeds donated on Colorado Gives Day, that nonprofit would receive 10 percent of the $1 million.
Across the state, donors gave $35.1 million to 2,481 nonprofits as part of the campaign, according to Community First Foundation. The donations were down from the $36.6 million given to 2,308 nonprofits last year.
Altruistic residents may have received multiple emails about Colorado Gives Day from their favorite nonprofits, but Pope said she doesn’t see the giving campaign as a form of competition.
“I think it is one of the best collaborations we have for nonprofits to come together,” she said.
All the nonprofits direct donors to the same website, where donors can find other nonprofits they may want to financially support so that “the philanthropy can spread,” Pope said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
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