Special to the HT
It may sound cliché, but it’s the truth – the work we do at YouthZone wouldn’t be possible without your support. Each year, we serve around 500 youth in Pitkin, Garfield, Eagle, and Rio Blanco counties, and we impact more than 1,200 additional family members along the way. When clients come to work with us, they receive three to six months of services, and never have to pay more than $200 in total for their program. In some cases, our services are completely free. For a fraction of the cost of sending kids to juvenile detention, we’re able to provide comprehensive assessment, court advocacy, substance use education, life skills instruction, therapy, and restorative justice. 90% of YouthZone clients do not reoffend, and more than a half of them report improvement in their everyday lives. We’re extremely proud to offer maximum impact for minimal cost.
YouthZone isn’t the only organization that has an impact on our community. Almost 100 nonprofits in our area have joined together to form Mountain West Gives, a regional collaborative group that seeks to raise awareness about the many organizations that make our Roaring Fork and Grand River Valley communities so amazing. Mountain West Gives is a part of Colorado Gives Day; a statewide giving campaign launched in 2010 by First Bank that has raised more than $469 million for thousands of nonprofits in Colorado since its inception. This year, Colorado Gives Day is on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and with early giving already active, one of the largest fundraising campaigns of the entire year is already well underway.
For many nonprofits, end-of-year giving can make up more than 50% of their yearly donations. That’s where you come in. The Colorado Gives Day webpage makes it extremely easy to conduct secure digital transactions – you can add multiple donations to your cart and make a single payment. The Colorado Gives Foundation will also match all recurring donations up to $100 that are made before Dec. 9. If you prefer snail mail, many of your favorite organizations will gladly accept checks.
Here at YouthZone, we always prefer financial contributions of cash, stocks, and other securities, because they allow us to directly offset expenses such as salaries, building operating costs, supplies, and transportation. If you’re unable to contribute financially, consider donating professional services that offset operating costs or goods that we can auction off at our Spring Gala. Speak with your financial advisor to learn more about the many tax mechanisms that are available to you at this time of year. Finally, if you still can’t contribute in any of these ways, try having your friends and family donate to a nonprofit in lieu of gifts this holiday season, or write a letter to the editor asking your community to support your favorite organization.
Last year, YouthZone raised $68,000 on Colorado Gives Day. This year, our goal is $100,000. We can’t achieve our goals without you, which is why we look forward to receiving your donation between now and Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday, Dec. 9. With your help, we can ensure that YouthZone is able to foster Hopeful Youth, Strong Families, and Safe Communities in 2026.
The Giving Guide can be found at https://soprissun.com/giving-guide/, and you can donate to YouthZone by visiting https://www.YouthZone.com/Give.