ColoradoGives Timeline

August 31, 5 p.m.: Deadline to submit a nonprofit profile for first review or to update an existing profile. Please visit the eligibility section of our site to learn more.

November 1:  People can begin scheduling donations.

November 30: #GivingTuesday. Use the day to encourage people to schedule their CoGivesDay donation.

December 3: Last day to approve fundraising pages.

December 7: Colorado Gives Day!

December 31: Disbursement for money raised on Colorado Gives Day plus Incentive Fund earnings.

By January 22: Disbursement for money raised in the month of December (excluding Colorado Gives Day) plus prize winnings.

Special Contest! Follow/tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin @ColoradoGives. Get 1 entry each time you use #COGivesDay2021 – Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, Dec. 7 on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages. The more times you post, the more entries you get! Ask volunteers, board members, and employees to do the same and increase your chances of winning!

• Create and activate your team!
• Engage staff, board, volunteers and key supporters.
• Download and review the Colorado Gives Day Brand Guidelines.
• Download the Toolkits.
• What is your compelling Giving Day Story? Demonstrate the impact $5, $10, $50 can have in your work.
• Set your Giving Day Goals – $ raised, # of new donors, engagement, etc.
• Register for and attend the June 24 Coffee Chat.
• Win a Catchafire membership!

Bring a new organization to a ColoradoGives Coffee Chat. When they register they will be asked who their Buddy is and you’ll be entered into a random drawing for a $200 prize. One prize awarded from Coffee Chats in May, June, and July.

• Read the Social Media Guidelines & Sample Copy document on the Nonprofit Toolkit page.
• Review the Brand Guidelines.
• Register for and attend the July 22 Coffee Chat.
• Announce your participation in Colorado Gives Day.
• Familiarize yourself with the key messages.

Colorado Gives is a year-round giving tool. Consider using ColoradoGives Fundraising Pages as a way for your supporters to help raise money for your nonprofit.

• Include the CGD ads from the Toolkit in your newsletters, emails, social media messages and website.
• Promote CGD Fundraising Pages as a way for your greatest ambassadors to support you.
• Finalize any changes to your landing page and profile on ColoradoGives.org.
• Talk with local media and businesses to get support for CGD.
• Work with a regional champion or consider collaborating to place regional paid advertisements.
• Find a matching donor.
• Build a list of partners to help you spread the word locally.

Colorado Gives is a year-round giving tool. Consider using ColoradoGives Fundraising Pages as a way for your supporters to help raise money for your nonprofit.

• Begin an email and social media campaign.
• Finalize crisis-planning.
• Mail the Save the Date Postcard or email the Save the Date images to your donors.
• Begin promoting weekly on social media.
• Promote the Ambassador Toolkit with board members, donors and volunteers.
• Register for and attend the September 23 Coffee Chat.
• Ask ambassadors to begin contributing content: Un-selfies, stories of their experiences with your organization, etc. Share through channels.

Scheduled donations begin November 1.

• Finalize campaign ambassadors.
• Add your #CoGives Campaign logo/visual to your outreach materials.
• Review and test your giving page (on mobile phones, too!). Make any necessary updates.
• Draft campaign announcements for social.
• Ask staff to update email signatures with your campaign visuals.
• Announce your campaign in social media.
• Announce your campaign to all staff, volunteers and stakeholders.
• Ask your board to challenge each other using Fundraising Pages.
• Develop a donor call list for volunteers to use on Colorado Gives Day.

Colorado Gives Day is a event. Share ways families can include children in giving by exploring KidsforColoradoGives.org. Encourage people to purchase Giving Cards for holiday gifts!  On Giving Tuesday, Coloradans schedule their Colorado Gives Day donations!

• Make sure your volunteers are lined up and ready to assist with Thank You calls.
• Plan an employee or volunteer event to celebrate Colorado Gives Day (breakfast, virtual pep rally, dance party!)
• Review your Colorado Gives Day Checklist.
• Register for and attend the November 18 Coffee Chat.
• Issue your local news release.
• Begin weekly email drip campaign with event highlights and action steps for supporters. If planning direct mailer, finalize this week to hit the week before the big day.
• Plan your day-of and think about who will do social outreach, staff the phones, answer media questions, etc.
• Email past supporters to announce #CoGivesDay participation and the focus of your campaign.
• Talk to technology partners about help needed with giving page or website updating.
• Increase social media posts.
• Email supporters encouraging them to participate in your campaign.
• Submit op-ed to newspaper. If it does not get picked up, use in social channels as blog.
• Accelerate sharing of ambassador contributed content and consider a celebration of top sharer.

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 7!

• Post on social once every hour. Schedule posts for nighttime.
• Go live on social! Create a sense of urgency and build excitement with followers.
• Reply, comment and tag on social.
• Highlight any matching donors you have, or talk about the Incentive Fund and how you get a % of the pie.
• Send at least 3 email blasts during the day to donors.
• Have your volunteers call donors.
• Share the CGD dynamic thermometer. Or, create one of your own to share.
• Tell people how you did and say thank you!
• Have volunteers call donors to thank them with 48 hours.
• Share your results on social.
• Share photos of those who will be helped by fundraising efforts.
• Thank your board, staff and volunteers.

After Colorado Gives Day:

• Thank your supporters.
• Share your results on your website, newsletter and social media networks.
• Execute donor retention plan for new donors.
• Share the impact of Colorado Gives Day with supporters!
• Award any prizes or incentives you offered.
• Take the Colorado Gives Day survey and give us your feedback!

Bring a new organization to a ColoradoGives Coffee Chat. When they register, they will be asked who their Buddy is and you’ll be entered into a random drawing for a $200 prize. One prize awarded from Coffee Chats in May, June, and July.

• Download the 2021 logo.
• Post the logo on your website and social channels.
• Register for and attend the May 27 Coffee Chat.
• Save the date! Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 7, 2021.
• Watch for the Colorado Gives Day news announcement. Like and share on social media.