Produced by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado (The Center), and recognized as one of the top 10 Pride events in the country, Denver PrideFest 2011 takes place Saturday, June 18 from 11am-7pm and Sunday, June 19 from 10am-6pm in downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park and features the CoorsLight PrideFest Parade, a Dance Stage with DJs, a Country Stage with line-dancing lessons, a Latino Stage with folk dancers and the Main Stage with live entertainment, and plenty of celebrating both days.
Denver PrideFest also features more than 200 vendor booths with arts, crafts, food and more. The Center organizes the entire event and also provides a VIP area with food and drinks for sponsors and contributors to enjoy. Click on the links to the left to explore more.

The mission of Denver PrideFest is to create a fun, safe and empowering space to celebrate and promote the heritage and culture of the LGBT and allied community in Colorado.

We’ll be there to help support our friends at PFLAG and all the other wonderful groups that are participating.

While we tend to focus on a slightly older (but young at heart) generation, The Young Philanthropists Foundation (YPF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that engages youth in philanthropy by creating opportunities for kids and families to give back to their community.  Their efforts are fueled by the belief that if you give kids the opportunity to make a difference now, they will continue to make a difference the rest of their lives.
Their upcoming BASH! that takes place this coming Wednesday (May 4th) @ 5:30pm is their annual fundraiser annual fundraising event that celebrates the young superheroes in our community.  Please bring your family and help us recognize those with an insatiable desire to do good.”

More info on the event can be found here http://www.ypfoundation.org/upcoming-events

CultureHaus, a social and educational support group of the Denver Art Museum connecting the young at heart with art, will host its annual fundraiser, the Art of the Chef, a live cooking competition featuring select Denver chefs, on Friday, February 25, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Gourmet Fine Catering (3600 E. 40^th Ave., Denver CO).

“We’re excited to host this year’s Banner event, Art of the Chef, at Gourmet Fine Catering, which sets the standard for distinctive and impeccable cuisine,” remarked CultureHaus Co-Chair Jenn Penn.  “Attendees will step into a celebration of art and food that will delight every palate.”

Each year, CultureHaus holds a “Banner” event, which is the organization’s signature party and fundraiser.  The name of the Banner event each year is chosen by combining the phrase “Art of” with a noun.  Past events have included Art of Fashion, Art of Pop, and Art of Sculpture. This year’s theme will feature a live cooking competition that includes a select group of Denver’s best chefs. Each chef will prepare a signature small plate to be judged. After the signature meals have been tasted, a panel of celebrity judges will then choose the winner. The entire culinary competition happens live and unscripted, and those in attendance will have the opportunity to taste the signature dish of each chef.

Attendees will also enjoy a pyrotechnic cooking demonstration, a martini luge, a roaming guitarist, and cuisine from the following: North, Limon/Campagna,Watercourse, Udi’s Restaurant, Snooze, the Kitchen Mistress, and Gourmet Fine Catering. In addition, an open bar will be available, compliments of Beluga Vodka, Vuka, and Breckenridge Brewing Company. The judges for the chef competition include Gabby Gourmet, Denver Post’s Suzanne Brown, Denver Magazine’s Ruth Tobias, Johnson & Wales University’s Jorge De La Torre, Holly Kylberg, and Kasia Iwaniczko.

Tickets to the event are on sale now. For CultureHaus members, tickets are $50, and non-members are $65. Additional tickets for a VIP Wine and Cheese pairingare available before the doors open from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.; tickets for this are an additional $20. To purchase tickets and RSVP, visit www.denvermagazine.com/culturehaus.

About CultureHaus

CultureHaus, a social and educational support group of the Denver Art Museum, connects the young at heart with art. CultureHaus provides its members with a wide range of opportunities to learn about art and collecting. At exclusive events held nearly every month, members and guests can enjoy unique insights about art, private exhibition viewings, and the chance to meet other art enthusiasts.  Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and others formed CultureHaus in 1997 to create awareness for the Denver Art Museum and the arts amongst the 25 to 40 year-old demographic.  For more information, visit www.culturehaus.com.

A while back, we did a write-up on a new concept making its debut in the Colorado philanthropic circle on December 8, 2010. After a few tough years for those of us in the fundraising game, GoodSpark commended the Arvada-based Community First Foundation on its innovative idea designed to increase charitable giving in our state by raising awareness of the ease of online giving – and promoting the importance of educated giving when making a gift, no matter how large or how small.

With a goal to raise $1 million in one day for Colorado nonprofits, Colorado Gives Day has the potential to forever change the landscape of giving in our state. For a 24-hour period beginning at midnight on December 8, philanthropic individuals can support any of hundreds of nonprofit organizations featured on the online giving website GivingFirst.org. Having funneled over $3 million in online donations to deserving organizations since its inception in 2007, GivingFirst.org has become a go-to resource for donors and nonprofits alike. GivingFirst.org helps to simplify online giving options for profiled nonprofits and provides philanthropic individuals with an up-to-date source of vetted charity options serving and/or headquartered in Colorado – and an easy way to support them online.

Over the last six months, Community First Foundation and its partner FirstBank have worked hard to spread the word about the effort. They have even established a special Incentive Fund for the initiative. With a lead gift of $250,000 from FirstBank, this fund has continued to grow thanks to donations from Colorado businesses and organizations. The fund will be divided across every donation made on Colorado Gives Day via GivingFirst.org – ultimately increasing the value of every dollar donated. In addition to the Incentive Fund, FirstBank has committed $50,000 to pay all credit card and processing fees for donations made in support of Colorado Gives Day – ensuring that 100% of every donation goes directly to charity.

As we come out of the Thanksgiving holiday and  prepare ourselves for the  winter months and the inevitable Season of Giving, we at GoodSpark are excited to show our support of Colorado Gives Day along with our partner, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery and its charitable arm, The Rock Bottom Foundation.  Rock Bottom – also a supporter of Colorado Gives Day and contributor to the Incentive Fund – has generously offered to donate 200 free beers redeemable at any Colorado Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery location to help us encourage GoodSpark friends to give on December 8.

Here’s how it works…Make a donation on December 8 at GivingFirst.org in support of your favorite charities and Colorado Gives Day. Tell us where you gave by posting a message on the GoodSpark Facebook page. The first 200 people to post on our Facebook page, will receive a direct message from GoodSpark and we will mail you a coupon good for one FREE BEER at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery!

So Give Where You Live on December 8 and help Colorado Gives Day raise $1 million in one day for Colorado charities!

- Cori Plotkin is President of Barefoot PR in Denver

Center for Native Ecosystems is proud to bring the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival – the largest environmental film festival in North America – to Denver.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is unique. It is a festival for activists, by activists. Grassroots organizations like Center for Native Ecosystems host more than 110 festival tour venues nationwide, creating a network of groups united by the common goal of inspiring activism through film.

These organizations bring their communities together around incredible stories of people making a difference. These films rise above the divisive political bickering we have witnessed over the past months to envision solutions that will create a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.  These films will restore your faith in the human spirit.  You will leave the theater smiling and empowered to take action.

I hope you will join us for Wild & Scenic at the Starz Denver Film Festival on Saturday, November 6^th and stick around for a complimentary reception with environmental filmmakers as well as some of the local heroes featured in the series.  On Sunday, November 7^th we will host a special kid’s film festival aimed at inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders.  All festival attendees will be entered to win fantastic door prizes from Osprey.

For more information on the films or to purchase tickets visit www.nativeecoystems.org or click on the links below.

Wild & Scenic at the Starz Denver Film Festival
Hosted by Center for Native Ecosystems

Wild & Scenic Shorts I
Saturday, November 6 at 2 pm
Starz Film Center at the Tivoli

Wild & Scenic Shorts II (All ages)
Sunday, November 7 at 12 pm
Starz Film Center at the Tivoli

- Bethany Gravell is the executive director of Center for Native Ecosystems.

Whatever issues you are passionate about, the media plays a role. The media is society’s conversation.  It forms our connection to the world beyond our immediate community and it should reflect and engage all communities.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of our media is designed simply to connect advertisers with consumers.  It’s a simple business model, driving almost all our mass communication.

With the changing landscape of the media today, there are new opportunities to expand discourse and build awareness. Here in Denver, there’s a young nonprofit working towards a Higher Definition of Media.

Together, we have an opportunity to change the media conversation to one that expands human awareness, not just promotes consumption.

You’re invited to learn about the work of the Open Media Foundation (OMF), a nonprofit that exists to put the power of media and technology in the hands of the people. OMF’s work goes beyond Public Access TV, to include website development and video production services for the nonprofit sector, and training and education in communications technologies. More than 50 nonprofits each year receive high-end video production or web development services from OMF, and more than 500 individuals receive training through our education programs. Hundreds of community members in Denver create the content that fills our website and airs on Denver Open Media’s producer-powered Channel 56.  Channel 57 is our viewer-powered channel, with hundreds of thousands of viewers driving the programming schedule, voting online and via their cell phones to determine which shows air and how often.

The Open Media Foundation is trying to help Denver shift the conversation of our city, helping the community open up a new level of awareness. Still, there are many stories left untold and many perspectives yet to be shared, and they need your help to spread the word.  That’s why OMF hosts an annual fundraising breakfast designed to build new relationships and raise funds necessary to serve disadvantaged communities.

Please join OMF on Tuesday, Nov 9^th at 7:30 am for a free, one-hour fundraising breakfast where you’ll learn more about the services, training, and resources available through the Open Media Foundation.  If anyone you know is passionate about free speech, diverse media, and leveraging media and technology to make the world a better place, please invite them to attend. For more information, or to RSVP, please visit: www.openmediafoundation.org.

- Tony Shawcross is the executive director of the Open Media Foundation.

When most people think of Goodwill, they think thrift stores and spring cleaning. And while it’s true that you can find an adorable Burberry skirt (I should know, I found one in our Boulder store this summer) Goodwill is so much more than that. Goodwill is actually the second largest nonprofit in the state of Colorado, and every time you shop or donate at our stores, you are supporting programs that help the most disadvantaged members of our community. We work with 27 local high schools every day to help keep students on the path to graduation, prepare them for the world of work, post-secondary education, or whatever may come next.

If you’re a mover and shaker in the community and you want to be a part of our mission to help reverse the cycle of poverty, we’d love for you to join our high-level, elite group of young professionals.
We believe YOU are the key to making a difference in our community. Come learn about Goodwill and the opportunities to be ambassadors for the future. Join us at Translations Gallery this Thursday for an evening of networking and learn more about how to get involved with Goodwill through volunteering, mentoring and our upcoming Dancing for the Youth at Goodwill Gala. To learn more, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GoodwillDenver and click on events.

Just wanted to drop a quick note about one of GoodSpark’s favorite local orgs.

We’ve just heard that Environmental Learning for Kids won the Governor’s Service Award 2010 for Outstanding Non-Profit Organization of the year.  The award ceremony will be on May 14^th at 10 a.m. on the West Steps of the Capitol with Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien giving opening remarks and Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. will read a Proclamation and issue the closing statement.  According to the Governor’s Commission on Community Service Environmental Learning for Kids provides an indispensable service to the people of Colorado.

We wish them continued success.

You can check out the great work they are doing by clicking here.

We’ve been big fans of Sustainable Harvest International for years and are proud to have them on our list of environmental organizations we endorse (found here).
We wanted to help them spread the word about the release of their first documentary called Planting Hope , and encourage all of you to check it out.

Planting Hope follows Don Cheyo, a Honduran farmer, and local SHI field trainer, Juan Carlos Sandres, who are breaking the cycles of poverty and deforestation in their communities through sustainable farming practices.

Head here if you want to find out more about what they do, why we chose them and why you should care about what they do.