There was a time not so long ago that philanthropic efforts weren’t one of the first things that popped to mind when thinking of the CGA and CWGA.
After all, the associations do many other things, including running championships and national qualifiers, growing and protecting the game of golf, handling handicapping and course rating, serving as the local steward for the Rules of Golf and operating the Colorado Junior Golf Association.
The CGA and CWGA both have long held 501(c)3 status as a charitable non-profit — and they have been major supporters of the Evans Caddie Scholarship for several decades — but it wasn’t until the associations officially purchased a golf course that the real push began.
Nowadays, the CGA and CWGA are becoming more and more philanthropically oriented, with most of their efforts benefiting youth development programs. Among the major initiatives they operate outright or have a major hand in, there’s the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, the Evans Scholarship, the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, the CJGA and other junior development programs. And that just hits some of the biggies.
Which brings us to an event which greatly benefits many non-profits throughout the state, Colorado Gives Day, which will take place Tuesday (Dec. 10). The concerted 24-hour effort encourages Coloradans to donate to their favorite local non-profit organizations.
Last year, the event produced $15.7 million for the 1,258 non-profits that participated.
With the CGA and CWGA committed to their community outreach efforts, they’re hoping donors will help the cause on Colorado Gives Day. The CGA and CWGA will have separate donor sites for the event.
“The CGA for many years didn’t have many programs that resonated with donors,” CGA executive director Ed Mate noted. “Starting with (the CGA and CWGA’s ownership) of CommonGround Golf Course and the programs we have there, that has completely changed. Now we’re very philanthropically oriented. Our outreach efforts reach far beyond what they did before. Now every year that goes by, philanthropy is a high priority. And (Colorado Gives Day) is a very prominent part of that.
“It’s a rallying point for our giving campaign. Colorado Gives Day gives you a landmark date to get people thinking about (contributing).”
The CGA participated in Colorado Gives Day for the first time last year and received donations of $2,500 for youth development programs. This year — working in conjunction with the newly formed Colorado Golf Foundation, which eventually will serve as the funding arm for all of the CGA’s philanthropic efforts at CommonGround — the association has stepped up efforts to promote donations through Colorado Gives Day.
Meanwhile, the CWGA is involved in Colorado Gives Day for the first time this year. In addition to the work it does on behalf of the Evans Caddie Scholarship, the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, the Golf in Schools program and the CJGA, the CWGA runs many clinics and social events for women and supports LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Aurora.
CWGA executive director Robin Jervey said anything the association raises through Colorado Gives Day will go to the girls junior golf efforts the CWGA supports.
“With this being the first year for us, you never know what to expect,” Jervey said. “But right after Kim (Schwartz, CWGA membership programs and marketing manager) sent out the information late last month, a couple of donations popped in, and from names I hadn’t heard of before. That’s a good sign that people do care. And hopefully they’ll show support on the 10th.”
In both the cases of the CGA and CWGA, donations will benefit outreach programs at CommonGround. The course sustained significant damage to eight holes during the September floods, and they’re in the process of being repaired. In the meantime, the course has been operating a nine-hole layout.
“Any dollars that come our way will benefit (the programs at) CommonGround in a roundabout way,” Jervey said.
In addition to whatever donations the CGA and CWGA receive on Tuesday, FirstBank is providing a $250,000 Colorado Gives Day incentive fund that will be proportionally allocated, increasing the value of each donation made that day.
To visit the CGA page for Colorado Gives Day, CLICK HERE.
For the CWGA page, CLICK HERE.
