Editorial: Continue the spirit of Colorado Gives Day throughout the year

Colorado Gives Day occurs Dec. 6, following on the heels of Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29.

While Giving Tuesday represents a global movement that encourages people to do good, Colorado Gives Day, launched in 2010, seeks to promote online giving to raise donations for Colorado nonprofits.

Donations for worthy causes can, of course, occur throughout the year. But the season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s represents a time for reflection on the year that’s ending, as well as a look forward into the year to come.

And it’s become an important season to draw attention to the needs of nonprofit organizations and the constituents they serve. Colorado Gives Day, for example, has raised more than $362 million for philanthropic causes since the annual event was launched.

It can’t come at a more important time. Our entire planet has endured three years of a pandemic from which we have not fully emerged. Millions of people have died, and the economy has been disrupted, with supply-chain issues and inflation taking a heavy toll.

This and other factors — such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine — have wreaked economic havoc and drained the bank accounts of individuals and businesses.

Nonprofits, too, have suffered both from increased need for their services and challenges in raising money.

Some signs point to a mixed bag in charitable donations. The Blackbaud Institute Index, which tracks charitable-giving trends, reported a 6.7% increase in charitable donations in the 12 months from September 2021 to September 2022, but third-quarter giving declined by 3.7% from the prior year.

That’s a worrying sign as economists predict a recession coming in 2023, which will create even more need for charitable services, and more need to replenish the coffers of nonprofits.

Nonprofit organizations in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado are featured in the Giving Guide, an annual print and online publication of BizWest. In that directory, many of the 633 nonprofits listed have provided their wish lists, whether it be cash donations, a new computer, food or clothing donations, or many other items.

View the Giving Guide, available in a digital edition at www.bizwest.com, to review those needs, and consider donating to the worthy cause of your choice.

As 2022 ends, we encourage everyone to continue the positive energy of Giving Tuesday and Colorado Gives Day through this year and beyond.

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