e-Community July 2009

Dear Friends,

As we hit the middle of the summer we wanted to share a list of 21 great ways to enjoy Colorado. Our 113 member agencies not only do great work, they also often have opportunities for you to roll your sleeves up and have fun building a better Colorado. For a night out on the town, consider skipping the dinner and a movie and putting your money where your heart is at a fundraising event with a special emphasis on fun. As you can see from the variety of activities on the list, our member agencies can provide something for everyone.

The list you see below is also available on our blog, the Community Shareholder. Bookmark the page so you can come back to these great ideas the next time you ask yourself the question, "What should we do for fun this weekend?" If you do a volunteer project with a member agency, be sure to share photos and tips on our blog as well. We love it when our community shares!

Enjoy your summer and don't forget that volunteering is a great way to connect with the charities and causes you care about most


Alyssa Kopf
CEO, Community Shares

Great Ideas For Midsummer Fun

+ Today marks the one-month mark of summer. Community Shares' Member Agencies offer an incredible opportunity for summer fun. Here is your annual Community Shares Summer Guide to the charities and causes you care about most. These opportunities and more articles from e-Community's past can be found on the Shareholder Blog.

+ For all you animal lovers out there, there are several member agencies which promote the welfare of animals both big and small. The Wild Animal Sanctuary is an extraordinary place to learn more about the more exotic carnivores. Because of the summer heat, many of the animals are active at night. The Wild Nights Program allows you to observe tigers, lions, wolves and other animals..

+ Cat Care Society (CCS) has a great virtual tour of their cageless center online. Additionally, CCS is currently putting together a 2010 calendar. Submit a photo of your cat for a feature spot in the calendar.

+ If you can't get enough music and theatre during the summer then check out the new project of the Rocky Mountain Arts Association. Their Gravity Defied Theatre is Colorado's first charitably focused community theatre. Get your tickets today.

+ Su Teatro is hosting their 13th annual Chicano Music Festival and Auction, August 5-9. For more information, visit www.suteatro.org or call (303) 296-0219.

+ VSA Arts of Colorado's Access Gallery will be on display for the First Friday Art Walk hosted by the Santa Fe Art District.

+ Beat the summer heat and get up to the mountains for cooler weather and equally cool music. KVNF has a full summer schedule of music in the mountains. Join them at the Crested Butte Music Festival which takes place through July 26th. Visit their calendar here for a full list of events.

+ KUVO's Blues at the Vineyard takes place Saturday, August 8th at Balestreri Vineyards. This signature annual event comes complete with a wine tasting, great music, and gourmet food.

+ For those who can't get enough of Colorful Colorado, checkout these great opportunities!

+ Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado has a great website where you can connect to projects in your area or interest. Volunteer Outdoors has the perfect way to give back and get outside!

+ Bicycle Colorado has found a unique and super fun way to connect and educate others about the 2009 Bicycle Safety Act. Host a Pedal Party!

+ If protecting trails and open space is your thing then consider the "Gala in the Garden" event on August 7th. Hosted by the Trails and Open Space Coalition, this event benefits trails, bikeways, rural land and open space in the Pikes Peak area around Colorado Springs.

+ Summer is a great time to help build community. Literally. Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver and Boulder Valley (Flatirons) have excellent volunteer experiences. This is a great way to meet others and work outside to help build a new beginning for a family.

+ Be sure to checkout the Kempe Foundation's "Salt on the Rim" event on August 1st. This annual event is a fundraiser to help fight child abuse.

+ And finally, even though this event falls outside of the technical definition of summer, I thought it was so cool that I wanted to share it with you. Earthlinks Inc. has put together another event in support of their innovative mission to connect low-income and homeless people with nature.

Have you heard about the recent plight of the honey bee? 60 Minutes did a report about it last year. Building a Bee Box is a great way to get your hands dirty, get creative and support a vital Colorado cause and organization.


Have a tremendous summer,

Jason Manke
Communications Manager &
Philanthropy Fanatic

Contact me here

2009 Summer Celebration - Just What We Always Wanted

Those who were in attendance at the 2009 Summer Celebration had a chance to see firsthand the impact and passion of Community Shares. Alyssa Kopf, our CEO, had a chance to tell us all what this year meant to Colorado Philanthropy.

"Each of your gifts and contributions to Community Shares are just what we always wanted. Every dollar, every small choice, every decision to be brave enough to share. They've come together to form this grateful organization, to fill this room with celebration, and to build a more hopeful Colorado.

Join me tonight in celebrating all that we have and all that you've shared with us this last year. Push back any uncertainties and celebrate our abundance. Because we are here, we are united, and together, we are so much bigger than ourselves."

Nary a dry eye was left in the packed house of 300+ Community Shareholders. While Alyssa's words (full transcript) put the ceremonial bookends on a year we'll not soon forget the message of Community Shares will continue to stand for community driven philanthropy. Thank you all for a great 2008 giving campaign. Have a look at the event slideshow by clicking here.

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.