Contributions

The Foundation's goals are to raise money through public and commercial contributions, and use those funds to make grants to support improvements in the Emergency Call Centers and the 9-1-1 Network, and Emergency Notification Services. We also use contributed funds for public education and administrative costs, including salaries and fundraising.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and contributions are tax deductible.

The Foundation seeks the following types of contributions:

Contributions from the General Public:

Personal or Family Contributions:

The name and town of the contributor will be listed on the Foundation website for one year from the date of contribution. We ask that personal and family contributors donate at least $1 per month per person; greater contributions will allow us to accomplish more, sooner! Contributions of $120 ($10 per month), $600 ($50 per month), and $1,200 or more, will be specially recognized. Even though contributions may be referred to by the monthly equivalent, we ask that you make a single contribution, as we incur credit card processing fees and administrative costs for each separate contribution.

Memorials:

Memorials are contributions to the Foundation in memory of a loved one. The name of the loved one, and a paragraph or two about them, will be included on the Foundation website for as long as the Foundation maintains the website.

Recognitions:

Recognitions are a way for contributors to honor First Responders who came to their aid or the aid of a loved one. The names of the First Responder (or information without their names, if not known), and a paragraph or two about their service to the contributor or their loved one, will be included on the Foundation website for as long as the Foundation maintains the website.

Bequests:

Bequests are amounts left to the Foundation by a person who has passed. The name of the person making the bequest, and a paragraph or two about them and their reason for making the bequest will be included on the Foundation website, if they wish. The bequest information will be maintained on the website for as long as the Foundation maintains the website.

Commercial Contributors

Commercial Contributor:

Each business which makes a contribution of at least $1,000 to the Foundation will be identified as a Commercial Contributor for one-year from the date of its contribution. Hyperlinks will be provided from each Commercial Contributor's listing to the Commercial Contributor's website, if the Commercial Contributor has a website. The Commercial Contributor may publicly identify itself as a supporter of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation for one year from the date of its contribution, and will be licensed to use the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo in announcing and advertising its support for the Foundation for that period. Any use of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo must be accompanied by the URL www.9-1-1Colorado.org. Please contact [email protected] for a complete copy of the license, including specifications as to use of the Foundation name and logo.

Gold Club Contributors:

Each business which makes a contribution of $10,000 or more to the Foundation will be identified as a Gold Club Contributor on the Foundation website and in Foundation publications for one year from the date of contribution. Hyperlinks will be provided from each Gold Club Contributor's listing to the Gold Club Contributor's website, if the Gold Club Contributor has a website. The Gold Club Contributor may publicly identify itself as a supporter of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation for one year from the date of its contribution, and will be licensed to use the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo in announcing and advertising its support for the Foundation for that period. Any use of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo must be accompanied by the URL www.9-1-1Colorado.org. Please contact [email protected] for a complete copy of the license, including specifications as to use of the Foundation name and logo.

Diamond Club Contributors:

Each business which makes a contribution of $25,000 or more to the Foundation will be identified as a Diamond Club Contributor on the Foundation website, Foundation publications, and in appropriate public education messages and publications, for one year from the date of contribution. Hyperlinks will be provided from each Diamond Club Contributor's listing to the Diamond Club Contributor's website, if the Diamond Club Contributor has a website. The Diamond Club Contributor may publicly identify itself as a supporter of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation for one year from the date of its contribution, and will be licensed to use the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo in announcing and advertising its support for the Foundation for that period. Any use of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo must be accompanied by the URL www.9-1-1Colorado.org. Please contact [email protected] ffor a complete copy of the license, including specifications as to use of the Foundation name and logo.

Sponsors:

Each business which makes a contribution of at least $100,000 to the Foundation will be prominently identified as a Sponsor on the Foundation website, including the Foundation Home Page, in Foundation publications, and in appropriate public education messages and publications, for one year from the date of contribution. Hyperlinks will be provided from each Sponsor's listing to the Sponsor's website, if the Sponsor has a website. The Sponsor may publicly identify itself as a supporter of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation for one year from the date of its contribution, and will be licensed to use the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo in announcing and advertising its support for the Foundation for that period. Any use of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo must be accompanied by the URL www.9-1-1Colorado.org. Please contact [email protected] for a complete copy of the license, including specifications as to use of the Foundation name and logo.

9-1-1 Industry Contributors:

The Foundation seeks contributions from 9-1-1 equipment and systems vendors and service providers ("9-1-1 Vendors"), to meet administrative and promotional expenses of the Foundation. Contributions from 9-1-1 Industry Contributors will not be used for grants, as that could result in one 9-1-1 Vendor's contribution being used to fund a purchase from a competing 9-1-1 Vendor. 9-1-1 Industry Contributors and their contact information will be identified on the Foundation Website by product category, and a hyperlink provided to their website, for one-year from the date of their contribution. 9-1-1 Industry contributors will be licensed to use the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo in announcing and advertising its support for the Foundation for that period. Any use of the 9-1-1Colorado Foundation name and logo must be accompanied by the URL www.9-1-1Colorado.org. Please contact [email protected] for a complete copy of the license, including specifications as to use of the Foundation name and logo. The Foundation does not select or approve vendors for 9-1-1 Authorities or Emergency Call Centers to which grants are made.

Use of Contributions

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance, affiliated with the Council of Better Business Bureaus, recommends that charitable organizations spend at least 65% of their total expenditures on program activities, and no more than 35% on fundraising activities. The 9-1-1Colorado Foundation's goal is to initially devote at least 65% of its expenditures to grants and public education, and up to 35% of its expenditures to fundraising and administrative expenses. The Foundation believes it is important to devote as much as 35% of its expenditures to fundraising activities during the first two-to-three years of operation during which it will be undertaking to build name recognition, educate the public regarding the need to modernize the 9-1-1 System and build contributions to a sustaining level.

Once the Foundation is established and has developed sustaining contributions to support its mission, the Foundation intends to significantly reduce the percentage of total expenditures devoted to fundraising and administration and increase the percentage devoted to its grant and public education programs. The Foundation's ultimate goal is to reach a level of contribution under which it will be able to devote at least 90% of expenditures to its grant and public education programs, and less than 10% to fundraising activities and administrative expenses.

The Foundation will seek contributions from 9-1-1 Industry Donors to be dedicated to administrative and fundraising expenses. While the dedication of these contributions to such categories of expenses will not affect the overall percentage of expenditures devoted to these purposes, it will permit the Foundation to devote a greater percentage of contributions from the individual, family and commercial contributors to its grant and public education programs. Because the Foundation seeks relatively small contributions from a large number of donors, it is not feasible to administer contributions earmarked for specific projects or areas. Very large commercial contributions may be earmarked for specific projects or areas upon agreement of the Foundation.

The Foundation may continue to distribute materials which identify Contributor more than one-year from the date of the contribution, provided the materials have been prepared within one year of the contribution and/or the Contributor has committed to make a similar contribution for the succeeding year.