Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Charitable Donation Dealine for Taxes is Coming Up!


Make your last minute donations count!

The time has come to start looking to 2011 - and it is quickly approaching! It's hard to believe that this Friday is New Years Eve. Everyone here at Macdonald Family Charity hopes you have a wonderful new year! Any new years resolutions? Perhaps a resolution you have is to volunteer more? Or give of your personal finances to support a cause near a dear to your heart? I would encourage you to not put off all resolutions until next year. Make a donation to Macdonald Family Charity and have it count toward your 2010 taxes. What could be better?

Contributions can be made here, and they are processed for free. You will know that every dollar you give as an end of the year gift will go directly to the charity and our mission of making struggling children's dreams come true. Children like LilyAnn. LilyAnn is a child who was granted a dream to spend time with her mother, a breast cancer warrior. Her mom was diagnosed last spring, and since then LilyAnn's life has been turned upside down. Because mom is a single mom, they had to move in with grandparents. All of their finances were tied up in medical bills, which left little for having fun as a mother and daughter. In October we made LilyAnn's dream of spending fun time with her mother a reality. Here they are at Cavalia in Denver.

The ladies had a dream weekend that started with lunch at Red Robin, an afternoon at the movies, and then they stayed at the Magnolia Hotel in Denver. While there, we gave them $500 for a shopping spree for LilyAnn, tickets and a limo ride to Cavalia, and then an afternoon at the Downtown Aquarium. They had an amazing time, and they will both forever remember their dream weekend together.

Please consider making an end of the year gift to Macdonald Family Charity to help us continue our mission into 2011. We recently approved 14 children for 2011 to be dream recipients. The budget for those dreams is $47,000, and we can't do it alone. Each and every gift will be greatly appreciated and used to its utmost to have the biggest impact possible.

Thank you for all you have done for us in 2010! I am excited for the direction of this organization in 2011 and am glad to have you along!

Sincerely,

Katie

Friday, December 17, 2010

Happy Holidays from MFC!

The end of the year is quickly approaching,

And none of our kids have dreamed of poaching!

The Macdonald Family Charity has had an amazing year,

We’re thankful for your support – and hold you very dear.

As we gear up for 2011,

Our goal is to continue to fulfill dreams. More than seven!

2010 saw twenty-two dreams,

Many imaginations were pushed to extremes.

From meeting Champ Bailey and a swing to bring smiles,

To trips to the Smithsonian and flying for miles,

Our dreams are all different, but one thing remains –

Each child is important and have no constrains.

We give them a break from the struggles they face,

And allow them to be a child at the front of the race.

Thank you for all you have done for each child,

Your gifts and donations have been generously piled.

Have happy holidays and know you’ve made a difference,

May your holidays sparkle with amazing brilliance.

Sincerely,

Katie Reiff

Executive Director

Macdonald Family Charity

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

2010 was awesome! Let's keep it going!

What a year for Macdonald Family Charity!

It's always exciting to look back over the past year and see growth. More maturity, new friends, and a bigger program are some of the best things Macdonald Family Charity has gained in 2010. We're so glad to have you as part of that growth! Let's take a moment and celebrate these exciting accomplishments!
The biggest and best part of what we do is make kids' dreams come true. In the past 12 short months we have made 20 dreams become reality, with two more to come before the end of the week! That's amazing, considering the first year we were around we granted 3, then 13 in 2009. The 22 dreams for 2010 have all been outstanding! One that sticks out in particular is Connor and his swing. Here he is with his new, fun toy.


Connor has an unusual syndrome that doctor's can't pinpoint, so they call it the "Connor Cannon Syndrome" after this sweet little boy. Connor is usually confined to a wheelchair and rarely leaves his hospital-like bedroom. Doing things a "normal" kid can do, even simple things like going to the park to swing on the swings, is not a possibility for Connor. His heavy wheelchair sinks into the sand, and once they have maneuvered him into the swing, he has to get home quickly and can't enjoy time just being a kid. In July we fixed part of that by giving Connor a swing of his very own, right outside his back door. His wheelchair can pull right up to the swing, mom puts him in, and away he goes! The first thing he said when he saw it was, "Higher, higher, faster, faster!" Luckily he has two siblings who will happily push him as long as he wants!
Another great accomplishment this year was raising $100,000 to fulfill our mission! We have also set up reserves of money to prepare for uncertain futures, as learned from the unstable economy. Thanks to the $100,000 raised, we feel confident going into 2011 prepared to increase funding, and in turn, increase the number of dreams fulfilled.
The new year will bring changes for Macdonald Family Charity, and we are excited to be rolling those out the first of the year. That being said, we feel that one of our biggest challenges going into the new year will be increasing our funding to fulfill the increased need in our community. Did you know that roughly 7,500 children in Larimer County alone live in poverty? Every single one of those kids would fit our low income requirement and could potentially receive their dream. With the economy slowly turning around, we hope to see that number drop, however we don't anticipate that dropping very quickly.
Luckily, we are here to provide those children with hope for their futures. Things won't always be that difficult, and we want to be the organization that steps in and gives them a reprieve from the suffering. Your gifts help us do just that. Without you, the 22 children we served in 2010 would have not idea that there are people in the community who care about them and want to see them succeed.
There are ways you can continue to support Macdonald Family Charity. Here's a list of some of them!
  • Give an individual donation. Donations can be processed, free of charge for the charity, here.
  • Volunteer! We have openings on our Dream Team (selection) and Event Committee (fundraising). Call or email me to get connected.
  • In-kind donations of office supplies, goods or services that we may auction off at events or use on a dream.
  • Share our story. There are many people in northern Colorado who have yet to hear about Macdonald Family Charity. Help us get the word out by inviting one of our board members or myself to present to your service club, book club, Bunko group, golf buddies, or other non-profit that works with similar kids!
Each of these things helps us further our mission and help more kids than the year before. Our hope is that 2011 will continue to demonstrate the incredible growth we have seen since our inception. Thank you for the role you have played in making all of these dreams a reality!
Sincerely,
Katie

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

What are you giving this holiday season?

Give a gift of hope that helps others see hope for their future!

Many gifts this time of year come with pretty ribbons and bows, and all promise to surprise and thrill. But what about giving a gift this holiday season that isn't able to be wrapped in a pretty little package? What about giving hope and opportunity to deserving children in northern Colorado?
You are able to give a donation to Macdonald Family Charity in the name of someone on your gift list - how great is that? You will receive a beautiful certificate to give to give to your loved one while giving a meaningful gift to a deserving child who will receive their dream from MFC. You provide the name and donation, and we'll provide the certificate.
Every gift given to Macdonald Family Charity is used to get the most out of each dollar. For kids like Brooke, the gifts you give are turned into incredible experiences that wouldn't happen without your support.
Brooke is a beautiful little girl from Loveland who dreams of someday becoming a writer. She loves history and museums. After a horrible car accident two years ago, Brooke had major difficulties to overcome thanks to a traumatic brain injury. She has recently re-learned to walk, read, talk and use her hand. The past two years have been filled with hospital visits, therapy, and a whole lot of struggles to get back to the girl she was before the accident. Her parents wrote to us about Brooke's dream of someday becoming a writer and her love of history. Their hope was that we could step in and create a dream trip to Washington, D.C. to the Smithsonian to help Brooke along her road to recovery.
On June 1-5 Brooke and her family were flown to Washington, D.C. where they stayed in a beautiful hotel, rode the subway, and visited historically rich places like the Smithsonian, monuments, and a tour of the White House and Senate. It was a trip she will forever be talking about. Here she is with her family at the White House. She's the little girl in the yellow shirt.

Our hope is that Brooke will remember that there are people all over who care about her and her future. People from our volunteers who scheduled the trip, donors who gave money for her souvenirs, and even state representatives who helped book the White House tour all came together to give this very sweet and special girl and trip she will never forget.
Please consider giving a gift to loved ones that will help give hope to other children! This Wednesday is also a unique giving opportunity for our supporters. It is Colorado Gives Day. You can go to this website and donate to Macdonald Family Charity. All donations are processed free of charge, so no money will go to a credit card company. GivingFirst.org is also going to be offering some matching funds based on the amount of donations given to each organization. Help us help deserving kids believe in their futures!