Three weeks remain in the sixth annual Community Spirit campaign sponsored by the Wet Mountain Valley Community Foundation.

If the initial numbers are any indication, this should be a bountiful year for Custer County’s various non-profits.

 

The Community Spirit campaign was started in 2004,
and its premise is simple: the Community Foundation
sets aside a certain amount of money each year – this year’s total is about $30,000 – which is used to match donations from the public to any locally based charity or non-profit organization.

 

Since the campaign’s inception, approximately $600,000 has been distributed among virtually all 50-plus charities that are headquartered here, ranging from the Ambulance Corps and the Center for the Performing Arts to the Sharing Center food bank and pet rescue organizations.

 

In spite of the current economic situation, this year’s campaign has received nearly 12 percent more in donations than at this time last year. As of a couple of days ago, contributions have totaled just shy of $41,000, compared to about $36,600 at the same time a year ago. The donations have come in from nearly 200 donors.

 

If you haven’t already done so, and if you are able, please consider making a donation to your favorite local charity or charities. Any donation of $500 or less will be matched by the Community Foundation. (In past years, the matching level has been around 50 cents on the dollar, meaning that your contribution of, say, $10, will result in a $15 donation to the charity you name. That matching level, of course, will depend on the total amount of contributions received.)

 

To contribute, find a copy of the form that appeared in the Nov. 19 and Nov. 26 issue of the Tribune (or available on line at www.wmvcf.org). Make your check out to the Community Foundation, name the charities you wish to assist, and your funds, along with the matching dollars, will be distributed soon after the first of the year.

 

The county’s non-profits – indeed, the entire community – will be richer for your efforts.