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 and make a donation today (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 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 or 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 givers and receivers.
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 Montezuma County, that includes The Piñon Project, Montezuma Land Conservancy and Medicine Horse Center, all organizations registered with Colorado Gives whose programs are designed to meet needs not fully met by the private or public sector, the role of a not-for-profit organization.
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.
