Colorado Gives Day raises $54.4 million

ARVADA, Colo., Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12^th Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday, Dec. 7 raised a record-breaking $54,409,297 million for 3,063 participating Colorado nonprofits. Gifts poured in throughout the 24-hour online giving event from more than 72,232 unique donors through 215,864 donations.

"We are blown away and humbled by the generosity shown to Colorado nonprofits on Colorado Gives Day," said Kelly Dunkin, president and CEO of Community First Foundation, the organization that created the giving event. "Coloradans recognize and appreciate the value our nonprofits give in helping everyone in our community thrive. From ensuring people have food and housing to supporting mental wellness to making the arts accessible to all – it all becomes possible when donors make good happen."

More than 1,500 separate peer-to-peer fundraising pages were created by individuals, businesses and nonprofits raising more than $2.7 million on Colorado Gives Day. Donors represented 10 countries and all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, Armed Forces Europe, Armed Forces Pacific, and Federates States of Micronesia.

"Community First Foundation founded Colorado Gives Day to provide an easy way for everyone to support their communities by donating to local nonprofits online," said Erica Thornley, vice president of product development and ColoradoGives. "Online giving and events like Colorado Gives Day make it possible for anyone to be a philanthropist."

Colorado Gives Day has raised more than $361 million since it launched in 2010, making it among the most successful giving days in the nation. The ColoradoGives.org online giving site has raised more than $486 million since it went live in 2007.

Interesting facts from the day:

• The first two donations came in at 12:01:29 am; one to the Denver Dumb Friends League and one to 9Health Fair.
• The final two donations came in at 12:00:01 AM Dec. 8 to The Hudson Gardens and Event Center and Boy Scouts of America, Denver Area Council.
• 215,864 total donations were received in the 24 hours.
• 97% (3,063) of participating nonprofits received a donation; 3,151 nonprofits participated.
• The category of nonprofit receiving the most donations was human services; 36,330 donations totaling $11.2 million.

"It's been an absolute joy to watch Colorado Gives Day grow each year, and we're grateful be involved with such an impactful event," said Kelly Kaminskas, president of retail and digital banking for FirstBank. "We are so happy with the overall success of Colorado Gives Day because it's encouraging to know that Coloradans continue to support the nonprofits that do so much to strengthen our communities."

Colorado Gives Day is a collaborative event. FirstBank has been the corporate partner of Colorado Gives Day since the beginning, providing cash prizes, event support, incentive fund contributions and paid advertising.

Supporting business sponsors include: Delta Dental; Colorado Housing and Finance Authority; Janus Henderson Investors; Amazon; Daniels Fund; Gary Community Ventures; Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies; Breckenridge Grand Vacations; Colorado Energy Foundation; The Denver Foundation; Graystone Consulting; Ireland Stapleton Pascoe and Pryor; Noodles & Company; SCL Health; T-Mobile for Business; Trinchera Blanca Foundation.

Media sponsors include: Denver7; Rocky Mountain Public Media; iHeartMedia; Grounds for Promotion; Univision Colorado and Entravision; PBS 12; Comcast; 5280 Magazine; Mile High Outdoor Advertising; Colorado Parent; BizWest.

About Community First Foundation
Community First Foundation has been connecting donors and innovative Colorado nonprofits since 1975. As the community foundation serving Jefferson County, we are committed to connecting people, ideas and nonprofits so that all of Jeffco is thriving. We help donors with philanthropic planning, support nonprofits with grants and resources, and together, build resilient and connected communities. Our work is rooted in radical listening and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

About FirstBank
FirstBank began providing banking services in 1963. Today, it's known as an industry leader in digital banking and has grown to be one of the largest privately held banks in the United States, maintaining more than $25 billion in assets and 110 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank offers a variety of consumer deposit accounts, home equity loans, mortgages, rental property loans and a full range of commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate loans, treasury management and more. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing nearly $75 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving employees a financial stake in the bank's success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. For more information, visit www.efirstbank.com. MEMBER FDIC

Cindy Matthews, 720.898.5909
[email protected]

Jake Holtrop, 713.205.0126
[email protected]

SOURCE Community First Foundation