July 2007 e-Community Message from CSC Board President Friends of Community Shares,   On June 13th, nearly 400 people joined Community Shares for our Summer Celebration at the Belmar Event Center.  We celebrated Inspired Philanthropy and reminded all of our supporters that Community Shares is changing the definition of "philanthropist" to include all who give.  We believe it is the act of giving, not the dollar amount, that defines philanthropy and we thank our many donors and volunteers who made our 2006-2007 Community Giving Campaign a success!   We are looking forward to continued growth in community funding and visibility for our member agencies.  Community Shares just accomplished a five year growth of 56% in the Community Giving Campaign!  Our commitment to excellence in community outreach, high standards for workplace giving operations, and the upcoming launch of the My Colorado Project promise continued success.   In other news, Jesse Wolff has left his leadership role at Community Shares to become the new President and CEO of the Kempe Foundation.  We are thankful for Jesse's three years of service and are happy he will be leading one of our member agencies.  We have already launched the search for the next CEO of Community Shares.  If you know an applicant you think would be a great leader of our community giving fund, please direct her or him to www.cshares.org/jobs for a full description of the position.   Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the CEO search and the Community Shares staff is always available to answer any questions.  Thank you for your commitment to community giving and your support of Community Shares of Colorado!   Sincerely, Denise McMahan Summer Celebration: Congratulations and thank you! Community Shares staff, Board and Membership sincerely congratulate our 2007 Honorees for their tremendous contributions to the nonprofits in Colorado... Community Leader of the Year: Elbra Wedgeworth Volunteers of the Year: David and Carol Sue Friedman Campaigns of the Year: Aurora Public Schools, Boulder Daily Camera, Exclusive Resorts and Johns Manville Steve Graham Memorial Scholarship: Minsun Ji   Thank you to all who attended and supported our 2007 Summer Celebration, and our successful year! View Event Photos, Courtesy of Blacktie Colorado    Denver Post Article by Joanne Davidson   Make a donation Your gift to Community Shares promotes the advancement of local nonprofits and philanthropic choice across Colorado.  We're looking forward to another great community giving campaign in 2007-08.  Click here to find out how each dollar you give to Community Shares will be matched by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado! Donate now to any one of our member nonprofits! Fourth Annual Credit Union Harvest Run/Walk Although temperatures are incredibly hot right now, it’s not too soon to start thinking about fall, the changing of the leaves, and the fourth annual Credit Union Harvest Run/Walk.  Join over 275 community members on Sunday, September 9, 2007 at the Renaissance Boulder Suites Hotel at Flatiron for this fun family day!  Featuring a 5K run/walk, a 1K kids’ fun run, an expo, and plenty of great give-aways, the Credit Union Harvest Run benefits Community Shares.  Registration opens at 8AM, the kids’ fun run begins at 8:45AM, and the 5K begins at 9AM.  The Harvest Run exhibits the generosity and collaborative spirit of five local credit unions: BME Federal Credit Union, Boulder Valley Credit Union, Elevations Credit Union, Premier Members Federal Credit Union and St. Vrain Valley Credit Union.   Click here for more details about the race or email Mary Snyders if you would like to get information in the mail.  We look forward to seeing you on September 9! Partners of the month Outstanding Member Agency Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado It's no secret that Colorado is the best place to live if you enjoy outdoor recreation and the natural beauty of the mountains.  Preserving Colorado's public lands for current residents and future generations takes the combined energy of thousands of volunteers each year.  Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) coordinates, educates and engages these volunteers in many conservation projects across the state.  VOC also supports the efforts of other organizations through VOutdoors, a web based tool that connects people with volunteer opportunities of various skill levels and interests.  Over half of VOC's summer projects take place in July, an outstanding month for an outstanding member agency.   Outstanding Workplace Elevations Credit Union Running an employee giving campaign is only one way Elevations Credit Union contributes to the community.  Each year Elevations pledges amazing support to nonprofits and local events through grants, sponsorships, scholarships, and in-kind services.  Rich Jones, Vice President of Marketing for Elevations and a member of the Board of Directors for Community Shares, has served on several successful event committees, securing corporate sponsors and in-kind donations for Community Shares valued at over $10,000. Elevations is one of five local credit unions that produce the Credit Union Harvest Run/ Walk, a 5K benefiting Community Shares.  This family-oriented event exemplifies the motto of all credit unions: “people helping people.”  The fourth annual Credit Union Harvest Walk/ Run will take place on Sunday, September 9, 2007 at Renaissance Boulder Suites Hotel near Flatiron Crossing Mall in Broomfield.  Congratulations to Elevations for its outstanding community support and this month’s “Workplace of the Month” award. Community Events July 7-8 - Great West Life MS 150 Bike Tour 5:30AM @ Broomfield Event Center (11450 Broomfield Ln., Broomfield)  More info July 13-15 - Denver Black Arts Festival 10AM @ City Park (Denver) More info July 14 - VSA arts of Colorado: Family Art Day 10AM @ Access Gallery (909 Santa Fe Dr., Denver) More info July 14 - KUVO: Jazz At the Vineyard with hazel Miller 6PM @ Balistreri Vineyard (1946 E. 66th Ave., Denver) More info July 15 - Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center: 16th Annual PrideFest & Parade 10AM @ Acacia Park (Colorado Springs) More info July 18 - Diana Price-Fish Cancer Foundation: Hot Summer Nights Bachelor Auction  6PM @ Sing Sing (1735 19th St., Denver) More info July 21-23 - Children's Hospital Courage Classic Bike Tour  8AM @ Rocky Mountains (157 mile loop from Leadville) More info July 31 - Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation: Golf 4 Wildlife  1:30PM @ The Ranch Country Club (11887 Tejon St., Westminster) More info Visit our Web Calendar for more opportunities to connect with your community.    "When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work." ~ Jean Cocteau