Kayla Arnesen 720.898.5919
karnesen@CommunityFirstFoundation.org

Julie Scott 303.361.2819
Julie_Scott@bonfils.org

Bonfils Blood Center Creates $12 Million Donor-Advised Fund with Community First Foundation

ARVADA, CO (January 23, 2017) – The future of the community blood supply and blood services in Colorado was secured with the creation of a $12 million donor-advised fund by Bonfils Blood Center and Bonfils Blood Center Foundation. The fund was established with Community First Foundation in December 2016 and enhances the future stability of Bonfils, Colorado’s first and oldest nonprofit community blood center serving nearly 100 healthcare facilities statewide.

The establishment of the donor-advised fund is taking place in concert with Bonfils’ merger with Blood Systems, an Arizona-based nonprofit that is one of the nation’s oldest and largest transfusion medicine groups. Effective with the Jan. 1, 2017 merger date, Bonfils, which retains its name and presence in the community, became part of the Mountain Division within the Blood Systems’ Blood Services operation.  The division is headquartered in Denver and includes Colorado, along with United Blood Services operations in Wyoming and western South Dakota.

Bonfils Blood Center Foundation, the fundraising arm of the blood center, was dissolved during the merger. Both blood center and foundation funds were used to create the donor-advised fund with Community First Foundation.
Distributions from the donor-advised fund will strengthen operations across Colorado and the Mountain Division in the short and long-term. The fund is expected to provide the finances needed to acquire a new generator for the headquarters facility in Lowry to assist with disaster preparedness and a number of bloodmobile vehicles to support the blood center’s mobile blood drive program in early 2017.

“The $12 million from our donor-advised fund will stay in the region to ensure Coloradans receive premier blood services for years to come,” said Anne Burtchaell, division president. “This is why we’ve entrusted stewardship of the fund to Community First Foundation, an organization with excellent knowledge of Colorado’s community needs.”

The Bonfils Blood Center Foundation Donor-Advised Fund is one of many charitable funds Community First Foundation supports. The Foundation provides administration and oversight for fund holders, such as processing grants, maintaining records, and providing simple receipts and statements for tax purposes.

“Donor-advised funds are one of the greatest ways we’re able to power community,” said Marla Williams, president and CEO of Community First Foundation. “We’re proud to steward Bonfils’ fund, which will be used to save and enhance lives every day.”

About Bonfils Blood Center and Blood Systems

Headquartered in Denver, Blood Systems’ Mountain Division consists of Bonfils Blood Center operations in Colorado and United Blood Services (UBS) operations throughout Wyoming, western Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota. Together, Bonfils Blood Center and UBS must collect approximately 3,500 blood donations each week to support patients at nearly 140 hospitals and healthcare facilities. The division includes 11 donor centers and operates an average of 250 blood drives monthly. Blood Systems, one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers, serves more than 800 hospitals across 24 states to provide comprehensive transfusion medicine services for patients in need.