Colorado Gives Day surpasses $20 million goal
The 8th annual Colorado Gives Day didn’t need the entire 24-hour period to collect $20 million dollars in donations Tuesday for charities across the state.
The effort exceeded the amount suggested by Gov. John Hickenlooper, with the total reaching $26.2 million.
The Pikes Peak United Way participated in CGD for the first time this year, said Jason Wood, the agency’s president. He said what sets CGD apart from regular donations is using social media to encourage giving from new donors and younger donors.
“Sometimes it’s not about the amount that you give, but just that you gave something,” Wood said. “And those little dollars sometimes add up to big dollars. I think that’s the point of CGD, is that everyone has the opportunity to give something.”
Asking donors to give to a cause or charity most meaningful to them, rather than just making a general donation, also makes CGD different from normal fundraising, he said.
Wood said he didn’t know how much the PPUW and its member agencies had received as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Salvation Army in Colorado Springs, however, received nearly $4,380 as of Tuesday evening, according to Maj. Richard Larson.
The agency has been struggling to overcome a $415,000 decline in donations that threatens to reduce or eliminate programs for seniors, low-income residents and the homeless. But Larson said donations this holiday season should eliminate the deficit.
Larson acknowledged the challenge of convincing people to donate when they already have given, can’t afford to or feel they aren’t much better off than donation recipients.
“We are good at helping people,” he said. “We’re just not good at telling people what we do. We appreciate whatever people can give. They can rest assured we’ll put it to good use.”
Birgit Landin said she was surprised to hear that the agency was short of donations and doesn’t believe that CGD is widely known.
“I include the Salvation Army in my donations every year,” she said. “The work they do is so vital to the community. Who would replace them if they didn’t do it?”
