Eagle County Gives raises nearly $1.7 million on Colorado Gives Day

A collective of Eagle County nonprofit organizations raised nearly $1.7 million on Colorado Gives Day this year. The funds came from almost 4,600 donations from more than 2,200 donors, with many donors supporting more than one organization.

“We’re really excited about that number because that is close to $1.7 million in resources directly going back into Eagle County,” said Grace Anshultz, the president of Eagle County Gives and director of development and marketing at the Eagle Valley Community Foundation.

Funds raised this year for the Dec. 9 day of giving exceeded last year’s donations by more than $200,000.

How does Eagle County Gives help?

Eagle County Gives is a group of 61 local nonprofits that work together to raise funds on Colorado Gives Day and provide holistic support and enrichment throughout the year.

The member organizations “serve as the voices to the needs in our community,” Anshutz said.

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They serve causes ranging from helping people experiencing food insecurity to protecting natural resources to supporting students and teachers to caring for animals. Some are entirely volunteer-run, while others operate with a full staff.

“What does it look like for everyone in our community to be touched by as many organizations as possible?” Anshutz said. “That’s really at the core of what Eagle County Gives is to all of us, is that abundance mindset that our community is better because the individual people are better when they are wrapped around by our different organizations.”

Eagle County Gives is 100% volunteer-run, with each member organization sending a representative to monthly committee meetings leading up to Colorado Gives Day to explore different approaches to fundraising and awareness-raising.

“That’s individuals stepping up and stepping out because they believe that we’re better together,” Anshutz said.

Eagle County Gives is much more than a fundraising agent. It also serves as a facilitator, connecting the leaders of the 61 local nonprofits, who can then share resources and advice and collaborate when needed.

“These meetings are such a place of fun and connection and community, and I couldn’t be more proud to be part of something than our Eagle County Gives collaborative,” said Whitney Young Keltner, the executive director of the Family Learning Center.

Since joining Eagle County Gives, the Family Learning Center has utilized food resources from The Community Market and directed families experiencing medical crises to the Swift Eagle Charitable Foundation for funding assistance.

“There are 60-plus organizations, and in the best case scenario, a family that we serve at The Community Market, their kid has a mentor at SOS (Outreach) and the teacher in their classroom is exceptionally supported through the Education Foundation (of Eagle County), and maybe one day they consider a career class at Colorado Mountain College and they adopted their pet from the (Eagle Valley) Humane Society,” Anshutz said.

“It all comes full circle,” Young Keltner said.

A grassroots day of giving

Colorado Gives Day “celebrates grassroots, community-based giving,” Anshutz said. “I don’t think there is any more important day for nonprofits in Eagle County than Colorado Gives Day. A lot of philanthropy is focused on major gifts, which drive our organizations and allow us to do that great work, but this day really tries to incentivize and celebrate that community-based giving,” Anshutz said.

The average donation on Colorado Gives Day is around $100, Anshutz said.

“It really is maybe someone who once benefited from your programs who might be a little bit more confident on their feet, or someone has been giving time and they have been seeing that need firsthand and they’re like, ‘I can give that $25 that might be my monthly coffee allowance to be able to support one or many organizations in our community,'” Anshutz said. “Maybe it’s the first time someone has ever made a donation to a nonprofit, and hopefully, they continue to see themselves as a philanthropist, as a donor, as someone who gives back to their community.”

Each local organization has its own fundraising page through Eagle County Gives, with funds distributed by the Colorado Gives Foundation.

In addition to receiving the funds it raises, each organization receives a percentage of the $1 million Colorado Gives incentive fund equal to the portion of funds it raised. All gifts from Nov. 1 through Colorado Gives Day are incentivized.

Eagle County’s nonprofits put the funds raised on Colorado Gives Day to work throughout the year.

 “We see this day as a really big rally for support, but what happens in the weeks and months after is really where a donor or interested community member would really see that magic of philanthropy start to happen,” Anshutz said.

The Family Learning Center uses the funds it raises on Colorado Gives Day to cover some of its general operating expenses. “It makes sure that we get to keep our program running,” Young Keltner said. “One of the big ways that it helps is it helps us keep our tuition rates low and provide tuition assistance to our middle to lower income families so that we can ensure that those families also have access to early childhood education.”

As an early childhood educational facility, the Family Learning Center plays a crucial role in the county’s economic and social ecosystems. If young kids can go to school, their parents can go to work.

“We keep the families working, they are able to pay for their housing, we keep them in the community, we have a great workforce and economy,” Young Keltner said. “It just keeps giving back to Eagle County.”

At the Eagle Valley Community Foundation, staff spend the day after Colorado Gives Day calling donors to thank them for their contributions.

“The best part of the day is the act of thanking,” Anshutz said. “To hear people’s stories of support or why an organization is impactful to them is the highlight of the entire experience.”

One particular call Anshutz made this year stood out.

“They were a (former) customer of The Community Market, and they got paid and saw in their budget that they had a little bit more this month,” Anshutz said. “That’s the power of collective giving, is that when they thought about their budget, one of the first things they thought about was giving back.”

“Everyone doing their part of the whole and giving what they can is really what makes this day special,” Anshutz said.

Anshutz urged donors to consider volunteering their time in the coming months with the organizations they supported on Colorado Gives Day.

“Those 364 other days, there are a lot of great opportunities to get involved with organizations here,” Anshutz said. “Giving of your money, that’s a great way to get involved, but there’s also the ability to give of your time.”

“Every act matters. Whether you’re the nonprofit professional making the phone call, the individual who is giving from their paycheck to an organization or you have the courage to ask for help and you engage with one of these organizations, that’s what makes Eagle County really unique and all of us better,” Anshutz said.

Donations can be made through the EagleCountyColoradoGives.org website year-round, with the Colorado Gives Foundation passing along donated funds each month. Learn more about each nonprofit’s volunteer opportunities on the “Visit Us” tab on Eagle County Gives website.