As we near the end of this season’s holiday giving season, we would like to take a moment to express our sincerest gratitude to all of you that contributed to the BOEC this year. Every hour volunteered, every dollar donated, every drop of sweat perspired and every ounce of passion given to the BOEC made a huge difference in the lives of many. Samantha, who you met on our holiday card and on social media, and one of our most loved local participants from Summit County, with her mother Debbie shares this message with you:
As you may or may not know already, the foundation, company, individual and household gifts that we receive from November to January make up approximately 40% of BOEC’s annual fundraising goals. Specifically, the 2021 holiday giving campaign brought in $104,000, which is $12,000 more than last year. You helped us to meet both matches and surpass our goal to help provide meaningful outdoor experiences to those with disabilities and special needs. Thank you all for your support!
We really want everyone who donated to BOEC, whether that is $5 or $25,000, to understand how grateful we are for the support you bring to thousands of skiers and snowboarders, climbers and rafters, and outdoor adventurers year after year. This is why our entire BOEC team makes an effort to personally call or email every donor to make sure you understand the positive difference you are making in people’s lives. If you did not receive a personal call or email from us, it’s because we don’t have your phone number or email address (Which you can be sure is correct by updating it here).
This is the busiest time of year for Development Manager Hallie Jaeger, but also the most satisfying. She wants to understand the motivation behind our donors’ energy and funds directed towards our organization so she spends lots of time reaching out to find out why. “The stories day after day on what BOEC means to our community and to our participants overwhelms me with inspiration and joy!” she exclaims.
“There are certainly some recurring themes to giving,” Jaeger adds. “On most calls our team hears a simple ‘we just love your organization’ and ‘what you do for people is so important.’”
Josh Tawson, a new donor to BOEC, perhaps put it most succinctly, “an organization that aims to impart the same joy I feel in the mountains to people that may not necessarily be able to otherwise is a noble effort in my mind. You guys are awesome and I want you to keep it going! I appreciate all that you guys do.”
We also received a call (which our team first thought was spam because it was too good to be true) from a Heroic Military Program participant from 2011 who had come into some wealth and wanted to give back. He shared that the adaptive programs at BOEC and Telluride had changed the direction of his life for the better and just wanted to do his part to support the work we do.
Giving trends this year also included more stock donations than in previous years (thank you good market!) which can go a long way in supporting programs and is very easy to do. Plus, it is always a bit of a surprising goose chase for us to figure out who donated the stock. So if you would like to dispense your shares with us, be sure to reach out, so we can extend a thank you and help to facilitate the transfer as well.
One very generous donor offered up $15,000 to be used as two match challenges this year, both of which we were able to meet, making your donations go double the distance. We saw an outpouring of individuals who were reaching out to make a donation during these opportunities to ensure that we met the challenge. Thank you so much to everyone who helped us meet the match during those special fundraising windows because this really made a difference for us this season.
No matter how you give to us, via BOEC.org/give, on Colorado Gives Day, or by sending a check, we sure appreciate you doing so. You can check out how to give throughout the year on our Ways to Give page.
Please enjoy some of these statistics from this record breaking giving season and know above all, YOU have invested in an organization that does its very best to help expand the potential of all people, especially those with special needs and disabilities, through meaningful, educational, and inspiring outdoor experiences. YOU are our inspiration! THANK YOU!
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