Colorado Gives Day is Coming!

By Bob Cooper

Tennyson Center for Children has been blessed with a couple of wonderful days of giving the past two Decembers.  The reason: Tennyson’s wonderful community of supporters and Community First Foundation’s Colorado Gives Day.  What a brilliant idea the foundation’s leadership conceived and implemented!  All the right elements align with this event; right time of the year, promotional support, sponsorship, matching funds and donor control.  All we needed to do at Tennyson is remind our donors of the opportunity that is presented.

Colorado Gives Day 2012 happens on Tuesday, December 4.  What makes this opportunity even more special is the fact that Community First Foundation, with the help of FirstBank, offers an incentive fund so that all gifts given that day will be even larger without any additional expense to you.

December is the perfect time of the year for this event as people are actively in a giving spirit during the holiday season.  Community First provides lots of information through many media outlets to promote and educate donors as to the process, making it very easy to participate.   And, being able to give to the charity or charities of your choice, gives donors the control they desire to direct their gift.  Tennyson Center is also blessed with the timing of having an active capital campaign which provides the opportunity to direct larger than usual gifts toward this day.

Development work however, is never a one day event.  Agency leaders, both staff and board volunteers, need to be always mindful of sharing the agency mission, discovering the missions of individuals and matching the two whenever possible.  Building a strong development program that is ready to take advantage of an opportunity such as Colorado Gives Day is an on-going endeavor requiring the commitment of both paid and volunteer leadership.  Tennyson Center asks every board member as they take on their role, to make the agency a financial priority in their charitable lives and to share the mission with others whenever possible.  Every agency has a story to tell, if we tell it well and demonstrate we are good stewards of the resources we receive, the support will come. 

At Tennyson Center, for the weeks and months ahead of Colorado Gives Day, we are doing everything we can to prepare our supporters and focus them on the event and opportunity they have to make a difference in a child’s life.  It isn’t about “making budget” or “hitting a goal," it is about helping children in need.  It also isn’t always about how big a gift you can make, it is about making a gift of personal significance to you.  That number is different for all of us and communicating the importance of everyone’s gift is critical to success. 

In these times of decreased public funding to support the missions of many non-profit organizations, it is more important than ever to build relationships in the private sector that can sustain services needed by the community.  Individuals who have a personal mission that match our agency are out there and it is our job as non-profit leaders to find and connect with them.  With the added bonus of the Community First Colorado Gives Day, it can be a very satisfying experience for all! 

So, mark your calendars for December 4 as we get ready for Colorado Gives Day 2012!  For more information about this special day, go to www.givingfirst.org.

 ©2012 Tennyson Center for Children at Colorado Christian Home.