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.

Our website does a decent job at explaining the what, but we wanted to drop a post for each of our programs explaining the why.
There are a number of reasons we’re starting the We Connect program: to fill a void, to provide rewarding experiences for talented young professionals, to address common issues plaguing nonprofits (this list goes on and on).  The main reason however is that we feel we can execute it successfully.  And, successful execution of the program will benefit individuals, nonprofits, and ultimately the community.
Over the last two years we have been approached by people who wanted to get more involved in philanthropy.  Given the economic climate, many of these individuals were more interested in finding ways to give their time rather than (or in addition to) their money.  During this same period, we’ve met with countless nonprofit organizations with a laundry list of problems that they would love to get resolved.   GoodSpark connects the dots and ensures that it’s a mutually beneficial experience.
One other thing we wanted to point out is that GoodSpark believes in collaboration, and this program is no exception.  Our friends at Social Venture Partners Denver have been an invaluable resource in helping us structure this program.  They have a mature model and member base that use their business expertise to take a strategic role in addressing our community’s challenges.  Their crew focuses on building the long-term success of nonprofits in the Denver area and learning about philanthropy.  The main difference (and one of the reasons our programs complement each other so nicely) is that they focus on the strategic, and we focus on the tactical.
We share a lot of the same values and goals, and we hope to see the relationship grow between our two organizations.