Funding Priorities

We can’t expect people to want to change the world or care about the environment if they have not had an opportunity to explore the outdoors. As we plan for the future, we invite you to make a tax-deductible donation today to help us with the following funding priorities:

1. Help underwrite the Cottonwood Institute’s public school program. Given the narrowing scope of public school curriculum (due to the emphasis of standardized test scores and the lack of funding for extracurricular programs) we need your financial support to underwrite our core public school initiative — the Community Adventure Program — which is currently offered to three public schools along the Colorado Front Range.
2. Support the Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. In 2008, we awarded over $7,000 in scholarships to increase the accessibility of our Summer Courses to students that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford our programs. This represents a 250% increase compared to 2007. With your help we hope to raise more than $10,000 for 2009!
3. Support the infrastructure that enables us to deliver our programs. Nonprofit does not mean “no profit” and like any other business we need to generate more revenue than we spend to support the dedicated people that have chosen a path to inspire the youth of America and the infrastructure needed to deliver our programs. Please consider making an unrestricted gift to the Cottonwood Institute so we can use it wherever there is the greatest need.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Cottonwood Institute, please Click Here or mail a check made payable to Cottonwood Institute: PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207.

Supporters

We could not have come as far as we have without the generous support of students, parents, individual donors, business donors, sponsors, as well as local, state and federal grants. We would like to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to our 2007 donors:

SPONSORS:
- REI has been a generous supporter of the Cottonwood Institute. Not only has REI supported us financially, they gave us a very generous gear donation in 2006 and 2008 to help increase the accessibility of our programs to students that don’t have the gear necessary to participate in our programs. They also host our Free Survival Clinics and have helped increase our exposure in the Colorado Front Range. Thank you so much REI!

UP TO $99:

• Anonymous
• Anonymous
• Rob Alexander
• Kurt Aronow
• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bartler
• Gretchen Bjork
• Rebecca Brunelle
• Pam Bunge
• Robert Chaffe
• Shane Conway
• Caitlin Conway
• Diane Deering
• Bess Denney
• Tamara DeRosa
• Nate and Kristina Drinkwine
• Michael Eubank
• Michael Frank
• Bob Giammanco
• Sam Goodman and Colorado House
• Lori and Mark Gray
• Steve and Susan Gregg
• Doug Grinbergs
• Bryan and Kim Harris
• Devlin Hartline
• Fran Sterling and Keith Hay
• Brent Houchin
• Michael and Erin Jospe
• Kim Kellogg
• Andrew Killion
• Amy Levine
• Mike Maughlin
• Emeline Mayang
• Greg McCallum
• Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Mokrohisky
• David Mueller
• Mike Musialowski
• Ridgely Pittman Myers
• Carlos Pacheco
• Carrie and Dave Pagliarini
• Claudi Putnam
• Jacqueline Arcaris and Britton Thomas
• David Ratner
• Nicole Bonnie Reese
• Ann-Britt Reilley
• Mr. and Mrs. Newton Reynolds
• Gretchen Ryan
• David Schmid
• Elizabeth Scully
• Greg Seabloom
• Sharon Sjostrom
• Marley Steele-Inama
• Susanne Weaver Stewart
• Lynne Sullivan
• Amy and Brad Swanson
• Joanie Tanous
• Leslie Tedder
• Breck Trevino
• Paul Van Horn
• Richard Vercoe
• Carrie and Brad Vonderheide
• Eric Wadsworth
• Andy and Jill Wildenberg
• Brad Wolaver

$100 - $499:

• Anonymous
• Tyler Adkderson
• Jeff Aitken and the Fluid Coffee Bar
• Kathryn Bailey
• Mr. and Mrs. James Barry
• Mikal Belicove
• Linda Bjork
• Bryan Buikema
• James Carter
• Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carter
• Mr. and Mrs. Ford Church
• Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Comber
• Mr. and Mrs. Correll
• Margaret DeMichelis and Creative Grant Services
• Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Duerr
• Dr. Ronald Swartz and Ellen Johnson
• Mr. and Mrs. William Forrester
• Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Robert Garrett
• Dr. Veronica Hailes and Mr. Christopher Hailes
• Mr. and Mrs. Dana Harris
• Paige and Elizabeth Jacques and Jacques Environmental Services, LLC
• Robert Quinn and Joyce Colson
• Ryland Gardner and Shari Leach
• Alec Lehrer
• Steve Lindhorst
• Mr. and Mrs. Michael Marsiglia
• Brandon McCabe
• Mac and Emily McDermott
• Mr. and Mrs. John Patrick McNeal
• Dr. and Mrs. Stefan Mokrohisky
• Dr. Gira and Dr. Raveendra Morchi
• Eric Olson
• Trey O’Shields
• Mr. and Mrs. John Oudt
• Matt Ouellette
• Susan Peters
• Steve Pho
• Michael Pins
• Jared Polis
• Gerald and Patricia Post
• Mr. and Mrs. William Prentiss
• Jennifer Ross
• Marian Salley
• Colin and Erin Schuhmacher
• Bank of America Foundation
• Greg Stewart
• Emily Stewart
• Amanda Tappen
• James and Carol Walsh
• Mr. and Mrs. James Waters
• Paxton White

$500 - $999:

• Anonymous
• Boulder Adventure Film Festival
• Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Desmarteau
• Mr. and Mrs. Adam Fiedor
• Sue Grauerholz
• Wells Fargo Foundation
• Mr. and Mrs. Rick Medrick
• Rex O’Neal
• Richard and Amy Paddock and the Greater Houston Community Foundation
• The Booth-Bricker Fund
• Ellen and Eric St. Germain
• Mr. and Mrs. William Sullivan
• Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Waters
• Mr. and Mrs. H. Hunter White

$1,000 - $2,999:

• Mr. and Mrs. Fentress Barry
• Dr. and Mrs. John M. Church
• Dr. and Mrs. William Conway
• Mr. and Mrs. Josh Freedman
• The Max and Bessie Bakal Foundation
• Mr. and Mrs. Alan Mumford
• The Kenneth King Foundation
• Mile Hi Specialty Foods, Inc.

$3,000 - $4,999:

$5,000 - $9,999:

• Anonymous
• Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Coleman
• Mr. and Mrs. George Villere and the Greater New Orleans Foundation

$48,500 +:

• Mr. and Mrs. Jason Griffith

GEAR DONATIONS:

• James Barry
• Linda Bjork
• Dr. John M. Church, Jr.
• Ellen Johnson and Dr. Ronald Swartz
• Jim Nelson and Linnea Matson

If you have any questions about making a tax-deductible donation, please contact our Executive Director, Ford Church, at 303.447.1076.

Wish List

As a small nonprofit organization, we appreciate any and all support from financial contributions to items on our Wish List. If you would like to donate one of our Wish List items, please contact Ford Church at 303.447.1076. Remember, your donation is tax-deductible!

PROGRAMMING ITEMS:

• Land Access: The Cottonwood Institute is looking to develop
  relationships with private land owners within 1 - 1.5 hours from the
  Boulder/Denver area to provide land access for our weekend courses in
  exchange for completing environmental stewardship projects such as fire
  mitigation, invasive plants, trail building, etc.
• Storage Space. The Cottonwood Institute would like to store gear and equipment at a convenient location between Boulder and Denver. If you are willing to donate a storage unit or provide us with access to existing storage space, we would greatly appreciate it!
• 4 x 8 enclosed trailer that we can use to haul gear and equipment during our courses.
• 15-passenger van.

OFFICE ITEMS:

• New Apple MacBook Laptop
• 3 Digital Cameras and Memory Cards
• 2 Digital Video Cameras
• Digital Scanner
• 10 x 10 Canopy Tent for Events and Festivals
• 6-foot Banquet Table for Events and Festivals
• The Benevon Library for sustainable fundraising: (Cost: 239.00)
• Guide for Colorado Nonprofit Organizations (Cost: $185.00)

CAMPING GEAR AND EQUIPMENT:

• 5 Internal Frame Backpacks
• 5 Zero Degree Down Sleeping Bags
• 10 Sleeping Pads
• 10 Down Jackets
• 10 Snow Shovels
• 10 Pair of Snow Shoes
• 10 Pair of Neo Overboots or Sorel Insulated Boots for Winter Camping
• 10 Pair of Hiking Boots
• 10 Sets of Rain Gear Tops and Bottoms
• 10 Sets of Long Underwear Tops and Bottoms
• 10 Pair of Winter Mittens
• 10 Winter Hats
• 10 Head Lamps
• 5 Avalanche Beacons
• 4 Backpacking Stoves and Fuel Bottles
• 4 Backpacking Cook Sets
• Other Outdoor Clothing and Equipment Items

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Cottonwood Institute has exciting sponsorship opportunities for businesses that walk their talk in terms of environmental sustainability. The Cottonwood Institute is committed to helping our sponsors:

• Achieve their marketing goals and drive sales.
• Provide opportunities to give away product samples or to promote their services.
• Demonstrate to the community that they are committed to reducing their environmental footprint.
• Highlight how they are good corporate citizens and that they care about the local community, local nonprofits, education, the environment, and the youth of America.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND REACH:

• Database. We currently have more than 3,000 contacts in our database, including students, parents, donors, and community partners. Our base is rooted in Colorado but also spans nationwide.
• Participants. In 2007, the Cottonwood Institute served 742 participants, logged 1,224 participant days, and recorded 10,571 contact hours with high school and middle school students and adults through our award-winning educational and outreach programs. This represents an 89% increase over participants served compared to 2006!
• Donors. In 2007, approximately 150 environmentally conscious donors helped generate over $95,000 for the Cottonwood Institute.
• Website. The Cottonwood Institute averages 60 unique visits per day or approximately 22,000 visits per year. Visits are defined as the number of unique sessions initiated by a visitor.
• Base Camp Bash. The Base Camp Bash is our major annual fundraising event to raise money to underwrite our public school programs and to support our Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. Invitations will be sent to 1,500+ environmentally conscious donor and donor prospect contacts. We will actively promote the event through media releases, which are sent to 160+ prominent media contacts in Colorado. In addition, public service announcements will be sent to all popular radio stations in the Colorado Front Range. Your company will also receive visibility through the Cottonwood Institute website and Blog and the event will be attended by approximately 150 - 200 constituents. For more information, go to: www.CottonwoodInstitute.org and click “Base Camp Bash.”

BASE CAMP BASH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
In order to help your businesses achieve your marketing goals and demonstrate your support for the local community, the Cottonwood Institute has three corporate sponsorship opportunities for the 2009 Base Camp Bash:

PREMIERE SPONSOR – Cost: $5,000

• Company logo included in 1/6 page ad in the March 2009 5280 Magazine highlighting your commitment to the environment and the local nonprofit community. Space reservation deadline is January 1, 2009.
• 15 tickets to the event to give to clients or dedicated employees.
• Company logo will be prominently featured on the Cottonwood Institute home page.
• Company logo will be displayed Base Camp Bash webpage with clickable link to your website.
• Company logo will be featured in the Base Camp Bash invitation.
• Public recognition at the event.
• Banner with logo prominently displayed at the Base Camp Bash event.
• Company logo and a clickable link will be included in a professional HTML email sent to 2,500 environmentally conscious Cottonwood Institute donors, donor prospects, and community members to promote the event.
• Company name mentioned in media release and PSA sent to over 125 prominent Colorado media contacts.
• Write an article on the Cottonwood Institute Blog highlighting your partnership, including your logo with a clickable link to your website.
• Logo on reusable grocery bag, which will be handed to all event attendees. Level One sponsors can donate product or service gift certificates to be included in each bag.
• Donate product or service gift certificates in featured sponsor section.
• We will provide a Sponsorship Audit highlighting the impact of your Cottonwood Institute Sponsorship after the event.

FOOD SPONSOR – Cost: Options starting at $2,500

• 10 tickets to the event to give to clients or dedicated employees.
• Company logo and a clickable link will be included in a professional HTML email sent to 2,500 environmentally conscious Cottonwood Institute donors, donor prospects, and community members to promote the event.
• Company logo will be featured in the Base Camp Bash invitation.
• Public recognition at the event.
• Logo on reusable grocery bag, which will be handed to all event attendees. Level Two sponsors can donate product or service gift certificates to be included in each bag.
• Donate product or service gift certificates to silent auction in featured sponsor section.
• Company logo will be displayed Base Camp Bash webpage with clickable link to your website.
• We will provide a Sponsorship Audit highlighting the impact of your Cottonwood Institute Sponsorship after the event.

BEVERAGE SPONSOR – Cost: Options starting at $1,000

• 5 tickets to the event to give to clients or dedicated employees.
• Company name will be listed in the Base Camp Bash invitation.
• Public recognition at the event.
• Logo on reusable grocery bag, which will be handed to all event attendees. Level Three sponsors can donate product or service gift certificates to be included in each bag.
• Donate product or service gift certificates to silent auction in featured sponsor section.
• Company logo will be displayed Base Camp Bash webpage with clickable link to your website.
• We will provide a Sponsorship Audit highlighting the impact of your Cottonwood Institute Sponsorship after the event.

OTHER SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

• Sustainable Vehicle. The Cottonwood Institute is interested in partnering with environmentally conscious businesses to acquire a 15-passenger van or mini-bus that will be converted to run on Natural Gas, Biodiesel, or Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) to walk our talk in terms of environmental sustainability and to solve a transportation issue for our educational programs. This vehicle will also serve as a marketing tool for the Cottonwood Institute and our corporate sponsors through vehicle advertising. Cost: $35,000 - $40,000 to acquire and convert the vehicle and $1,000 per year for vehicle advertising.
• Sponsor a Program or Course. Funding for public education and extracurricular programs are being cut in our public schools. We are interested in partnering with corporate sponsors to help underwrite our public school programs and courses for underserved youth to help inspire the next generation of future community leaders and environmental stewards. Cost: $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 levels available.
• Support the Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. In 2008, we awarded over $7,000 in scholarships to increase the accessibility of our Summer Courses to students that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford our programs. This represents a 250% increase compared to 2007. Cost: With your help we hope to raise more than $10,000 for 2009!
• Sponsor the Mt. Evans Volunteer Project. The Cottonwood Institute can provide leadership and teambuilding opportunities to sponsors that want to adopt our Mt. Evans Volunteer Project. We are looking for corporate sponsors to provide volunteers and financial support to help underwrite the costs of this weekend project. Cost: $2,500.
• Sponsor our “Official” Cottonwood Institute Merchandise: including our Survival Kit, Water Bottle, Coffee Mug, Reusable Grocery Bag, and Organic T-Shirt. All sales of our official products benefit our Griffith Scholarship Fund and help highlight our commitment to reducing our environment footprint. Cost: TBD.

FOR A CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL, CONTACT:
Ford Church, Founder and Executive Director
303.447.1076
Email