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Local Man Hand-Cycles 1500 Miles with Philanthropic Vision 
Northern Colorado community member, Rich Dixon, is fulfilling a dream to ride his hand-cycle for 1500 miles along the Mississippi River to raise support and awareness for Convoy of Hope, an international nonprofit organization. Since 1994, Convoy of Hope has served more than 44 million people through children's feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing.
In 1987, Rich fell from a roof while installing Christmas lights and damaged his spinal cord. He returned home five months later in a wheelchair with permanent paralysis. The tragic accident led to Rich becoming a writer and motivational speaker who enjoys exploring issues related to adversity, hope, dreams and faith. Rich's inspiring ride will begin in mid-August and take roughly eight weeks as he travels north-to-south along the river. Click here to learn more about Rich and support the 1500-mile ride!
Community Foundation Reconfirms National Standards
Five years ago, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado was recognized for meeting National Standards for Community Foundations accreditation . This recognizes compliance with the most rigorous standards in philanthropy and gives evidence of excellence in an economic environment where donors are especially concerned with impact and effectiveness. Over the next 3 months, the staff will work diligently through the reconfirmation process. There are over 700 Community Foundations throughout the United States and over 400 are in compliance with National Standards.
Charitable Giving Facts
Prior to recent economic trauma, 2011 was shaping up to be the best year for giving since 2007. While that hope may be more questionable, here are some interesting facts to consider:
- Recently published reports indicate that charitable giving is on the upturn in 2011. By one measure, giving for a recent quarter was up 11 percent over the same period in 2010.
- The debt reduction package just approved by Congress leaves the charitable deduction intact for this year. See Philanthropy Today report.
- The Charitable IRA provision that allows tax-free charitable gifts directly from an IRA is scheduled to expire December 31 of this year.
Need to Raise More Money?
If your nonprofit organization is looking for new ideas to maximize fundraising, the Community Foundation highly recommends attending the 2011 Summit on Philanthropy featuring Penelope Burk to be held August 26. Penelope Burk is an author, researcher and mentor celebrated for some of the most important innovations in modern-day fundraising.
Leadership Fort Collins 2011-2012 Applications
Leadership Fort Collins was established in 1981 to give information to participants about the history, government, economy, social issues, needs and opportunities in our community. This year's program is intended to educate and motivate current and emerging leaders of our community. Thirty people will be selected from the Fort Collins area to participate in the 2011-2012 Leadership Fort Collins program. The program will start in Septermber and end in May. The application deadline is Monday, August 15 at 5 pm. Get an application here, and submit it by email, through fax to 482-3774, or by mail to the Chamber office at 225 S. Meldrum, Fort Collins 80521.
Giving at Your Full Potential
In a Denver Post article, "Determine your true giving capacity", Bruce DeBoskey encourages people to utilize tools that will aid them in contributing to charity with their full capacity. According to the article, Americans contribute two to three percent of their net incomes to charity. DeBoskey says that with a financial adviser's help, or through other financial planning tools, people can take care of their financial priorities as well as determine their true giving capabilities.
Bolder Giving is a nonprofit initiative created to encourage and support people to "give at their full potential." The free workbook is available for download by clicking here. DeBoskey also advises that to help donors follow through with their giving plans they could enroll in a payroll deduction plan or utilize online bill-paying that will automatically send money to charities. To read more, click here.
Myths and Truths about Nonprofits
Can a nonprofit lose its tax-exempt status if it records too much profit in a given year? Are nonprofits required to change auditors every five years? Does filing an extension for Form 990 increase a nonprofit’s chances of being audited by the IRS? Does having a large reserve fund make a nonprofit a target for an IRS audit? EKS&H, an accounting firm with offices in Fort Collins and Denver, helps nonprofits operate in an efficient, cost-effective manner so they can maximize their resources and focus on achieving their mission. One way the firm accomplishes this is by publishing a monthly enewsletter containing information of benefit to nonprofit agencies and their boards. Its July 2011 enewsletter responded to myths and truths about nonprofit accounting procedures. Click here to access this informative article.
Neighbor to Neighbor helps people establish and maintain housing. The organization helps homeless people find homes, counsels renters and home owners in crisis, provides financial assistance to help people prevent and overcome homelessness, provides affordable apartments for low-income families and educates people looking to purchase their first home. Neighbor to Neighbor is seeking general operating funding to support its array of programs. Recently, the organization’s HUD Housing Counseling grant was terminated by the government, and additional local support is needed to keep programs running. For more information, please contact Wendie Robinson at wrobinson@n2n.org or 488-2363. 
The Wildfire Street Festival, sponsored by the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor and supported by a grant from the Community Foundation, will take place on Saturday, August 27 from 5:00 - 10:00 pm The event, which be held at the Wildfire Community Arts Center, will support the arts in Berthoud. The festival will feature dance demonstrations, face painting, a mural presentation, food/beverages, a wine tasting, silent auction, and more. For more information, click here. 