Colorado Gives Day FirstBank Cash Prize Winners Announced
Twenty-seven nonprofits receive a share of $100,000

ARVADA, Colo. (Jan. 14, 2014) – Twenty-seven Colorado nonprofit organizations are receiving an additional cash donation thanks to FirstBank, which is funding $90,000 in Luck-of-the-Draw cash prizes and $10,000 in trivia prizes for Colorado Gives Day nonprofit organizations.

The 18 FirstBank Luck-of-the-Draw $5,000 cash prizes winners are:

• American Red Cross
• Boy Scouts of America, Longs Peak Council
• Canine Companions for Independence
• Clean Energy Action
• Colorado Youth at Risk
• Craig Hospital Foundation
• Divine Feline
• Energy Outreach Colorado
• One Colorado Education Fund
• Pandas International
• Project 1.27
• Project Angel Heart
• Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center
• Rocky Mountain Raptor Program
• TRU Community Care
• Urban Peak Denver
• Vail Valley Salvation Army
• YMCA of Metropolitan Denver

To be eligible to receive a FirstBank cash prize, nonprofits must have participated in Colorado Gives Day 2013 and received a minimum of 30 donations during the 24-hour period. The 18 winners were randomly selected.

“This was our first year participating in Colorado Gives Day and it went really, really well,” said Sherri Leggett, executive director of Divine Feline. “Our supporters stepped up to the plate. It was a great way for them to make year-end donations.”

The 10 FirstBank trivia contest $1,000 cash prize winners are: Bow Wow Buddies Foundation; Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance; Divine Feline; Feeding Our Community Ourselves (FOCO Café); Muscular Dystrophy Association – Denver; Prairie Wildlife Research; Rifle Animal Shelter; Roundup Fellowship; Shining Stars Foundation; and Smart-Girl, Inc.

FirstBank offered 10 prizes worth $1,000 each when people correctly answered Colorado Gives Day trivia questions on FirstBank’s Facebook page in December. Each trivia winner chose a favorite Colorado Gives Day nonprofit to receive the prize.

Colorado Gives Day would not be possible without the generous support of FirstBank, Colorado’s largest locally-owned bank and Community First Foundation’s corporate partner for Colorado Gives Day. Colorado Gives Day is an initiative that was created in 2010 by Community First Foundation to increase philanthropy in the state through online giving.

In 2013, FirstBank donated $600,000 to support Colorado Gives Day, which includes the Luck-of-the Draw and trivia cash prizes. FirstBank committed $600,000 to Colorado Gives Day in 2012, $500,000 in 2011 and $300,000 in 2010.

“Colorado Gives Day 2013 was another record year for Community First Foundation, FirstBank, and for Colorado,” said John Ikard, CEO of FirstBank Holding Company. “The success of Colorado Gives Day has a lot to do with the nonprofits that not only work hard to improve our wonderful state, but truly rally for financial contributions and new donors. We’re thrilled we were able to provide incentives—in the form of cash prizes—to get them more engaged and motivated to help Colorado Gives Day reach another significant milestone.”

“What a great way to celebrate the success of Colorado Gives Day.  These cash prizes translate into important work in our community by the winning nonprofits,” said Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of Community First Foundation. “Once again, FirstBank raises the bar on what it means to be a good corporate citizen and we are grateful for the bank’s continued commitment to local nonprofits and Colorado Gives Day.”

For more information about Colorado Gives Day prizes, please visit the prize page.

Thank you to our generous media and business sponsors
Colorado Gives Day is made possible by the generous support of FirstBank, Community First Foundation’s corporate partner, and several local foundations and businesses that believe in the power of philanthropy. They include:

• Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
• Adolph Coors Foundation
• The Colorado Trust
• EideBailly LLP
• Innovest Portfolio Solutions
• RE/MAX World Headquarters
• EKS & H
• The Piton Foundation
• Bryan Cave LLP, and
• Tuthill & Hughes LLP

Colorado Gives Day would not be a success without the help of our media sponsors who generously donate space and air time to promote online giving. They include:

• The Networks of 9NEWS
• Comcast
• Entravision Communications
• Clear Channel
• Rocky Mountain PBS
• Colorado Public Television (CPT12 – Channel 12); and
• 5280 Magazine

About Colorado Gives Day
Colorado Gives Day is an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day took place during a 24-hour period on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. Donations are accepted at ColoradoGives.org, a year-round, online giving website featuring Colorado charities.

About Community First Foundation
For nearly 40 years, Community First Foundation has been bringing donors and nonprofit organizations together. We offer financial support and educational opportunities to strengthen nonprofits. We also fund community programs, inspire philanthropy and assist individuals and businesses with charitable giving. ColoradoGives.org, our year-round, online giving website, has raised more than $79 million for Colorado nonprofits since 2007. We are the proud recipient of the 2013 National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Outstanding Foundation award. For more information, visit www.CommunityFirstFoundation.org.

About FirstBank
FirstBank operates more than 115 locations in Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank is the largest locally owned banking organization in Colorado, serving more than 600,000 customers. Since 2000, FirstBank has contributed more than $40 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. FirstBank is unique in that a majority of its stock is owned by management and employees. For more information, visit www.efirstbank.com.