2009 Award Winners

2009 Award Winners

Community Giving Campaigns of the Year Community Shares is the sum total of many parts. Three incredible organizations were honored this year for their commitment to workplace giving. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the first consecutive Campaign of the Year winner in CShares history. This year NREL employees pledged more than $182,000 to the charities and causes they care about most - increasing giving and participation by 27% from the previous year. NREL employees designated more than $65,000 to Community Shares member agencies. In a difficult year, the Kroenke Sports Giving Campaign increased employee participation by 20%! It was the continued support from the executive committee and their encouraging communication with employees that made this campaign a success! This year, in an effort to be more environmentally friendly and reduce paper, the district offered their first electronic giving campaign using Community Shares' online giving system. This proved to be a fantastic success with 63% of donations pledged online. The campaign saw a 15% increase in giving from the previous year.

Community Leader of the Year The woman recognized helped inspire more than $12 million dollars in individual gifts over the past four years. You would think everyone would know the name of a $12 million dollar philanthropist! However, she has done this by making good, small decisions day after day proving that incremental giving makes a monumental difference. LaVerne Kyriss who works for the Western Area Power Administration, has been a leader in the Combined Federal Campaign of Metro Denver for many years, serving as the Co-Chair of the Cabinet for the last four. LaVerne volunteers her time to make sure that metro Denver federal employees know of all the options they have in workplace giving.

Volunteer of the Year Amanda Fein is a member of the Community Shares of Colorado board of directors, serves as board treasurer, and chairs our audit committee. Amanda provides exemplary support for our organization by sharing her time, talent, and treasures with Community Shares. Amanda plays a leadership role with many nonprofit organizations including sitting on the fundraising committee for The Delores Project, the event committee for National Jewish Hospital's Cocktails and Karaoke, the Young Philanthropist Foundation's Youth Advisory Board Committee, she is a partner with Social Venture Partners, volunteers for the Christian Action Guild's Food Bank, sits on the Children's Garden Silent Auction Committee, is a volunteer and past judge for Young Americans Education Foundation and Financial Center, and was the 9 News Health Fair volunteer for the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition. No one knows how she does all of this....its a mystery, but we think she might be able to stop time.

Steve Graham Memorial Scholarship Bonnie Starr Mandell-Rice volunteers for two organizations within the Community Shares family of member nonprofits, both the Wolf Sanctuary and the Wild Animal Sanctuary. Bonnie has a passion for animal rights and philanthropy, which shines true in her dedication for many nonprofits in Colorado. As a volunteer for Wolf, Bonnie attends all of the Community Shares of Colorado meetings to represent Wolf, which both keeps the Sanctuary up to date and saves on-site staff countless hours of travel time. She speaks on behalf of the organization at events and volunteers at public outreach events to broaden Wolf's educational mission. Congratulations to Bonnie for being a shining example of philanthropy.

Raise Your Paddle! Together we are so much bigger than we are alone. Last Wednesday night each Shareholder in attendance was asked to give at a level comfortable to them. Our goal was $7,500 and we're almost there. If you'd like to participate in this effort please click your virtual paddle to the right. All gifts are welcome and significant.