When former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter decided to forgo a run for a second term, it was not for lack of cash in his campaign coffers. In the time since he left office last January, then, Ritter has been finding worthy recipients for the contents of his war chest, and the laundry list of gifts will do much to improve lives in Colorado and well beyond the states borders.
In all, Ritter has donated more than $300,000 to nonprofit organizations that span a spectrum reflective of his long-time interests as well as addressing issues in keeping with the presumptive spirit of contributors intent. The combined effect of the donations is likely to be positive.
The largest chunk that Ritter contributed from his surplus funds which were left over after expenses were paid, donors were given the option of a refund, and the state Democratic Party received a $2,500 gift was a $100,000 contribution to the Colorado Forum Fund, a nonpartisan fiscal planning effort recently established to address myriad budgetary issues. That work is currently focused on education a topic Ritter devoted much attention to during his tenure. Given the squeeze the states education funding has seen during the past several budget years, infusing with cash an effort to address those issues proactively and in a non-partisan manner is a laudable extension of Ritters efforts as governor. In fact, he cited the challenges he faced in balancing the states budget during difficult funding cycles as basis for his donation to the Forum Funds work.
The next largest recipient of the Ritter campaigns largesse is the Colorado Historical Foundation, which was granted $30,000. The foundation supports the work of the Colorado Historical Society, as well as provides loans for historic preservation projects and runs a statewide preservation easement program. With Colorados rich inventory of historical sites and stories, funding efforts to preserve that legacy is an important commitment to the states identity.
Ritter contributed lesser amounts to a range of causes including community food banks, conservation groups, and other education-related efforts. He also funded several charities that provide housing, education, food and health care in Africa a continuation of his past work as a missionary in Zambia. While this investment might not be directly correlative to improving life in Colorado, it is philanthropy at its most fundamental level and serves as a reminder that charitable giving for basic human needs is a value that all of us would be wise to embrace. There are those in need close to home and far afield extending help is a means of building far-reaching and potentially long-lasting connections.
Colorado state law allows several options by which to dispose of surplus campaign funds including donation to political party, transferring the money to fund the candidates run for a different office, returning the money to donors, or contributing it to charities. By putting the majority of his remaining contributions toward this last option, focusing primarily on challenges and needs relevant to Colorado, Ritter made wise use of his donors contributions that were intended to help win him another term to work on those issues. Ritters range of donations is reflective of the breadth of issues important to him, as well as to Coloradans. Those who contributed to his campaign and Ritter himself can feel good about his administration of their support.
