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!

Begin the Gift of Giving Today!

Macdonald Family Charity is gearing up for the end of the year. We have one more dream we're going to fulfill on December 16, and we are so grateful for your gifts in the past to make this dream a reality. Gifts allow us to continue to grow to serve the ever growing population of eligible children. It is so sad to us that there are over 7,500 children living in poverty in Larimer County. These are just one group of kids that are eligible to receive a dream from us. Our goal is to never turn away a true dream.

Each gift we receive is stewarded to have the biggest impact possible. Without relationships with service providers and your donations, dreams come alive for less than you would think. The long and the short of it is that the more donations we receive, the more dreams we can give to deserving children.

One dream that came together for a surprising amount was Ethan's. We were able to make his dream of skiing come true for $350. Ethan is a little boy who has Cerebral Palsy that has put him in a wheelchair. He is a quadriplegic that continually strives to look beyond his current restraints and try new things. His parents wrote to us with his dream, and we went to work to put together a dream day of downhill skiing for this very sweet boy. Here's a picture of Ethan on his dream.

Leveraging your gifts and our connections, this dream came together for this family last February. The grin on Ethan's face says it all - he was having the time of his life as he swooped down the slopes and experienced downhill skiing for the first time, and he had time, as brief as a day may be, where he wasn't constrained by his Cerebral Palsy. His dream coming true gave him hope for his future and increased dedication to his countless therapies that he may continue to progress.

As you look at Ethan's picture and read his story, you may think that yes, $350 isn't a lot to make a child's dream come true. However, it is more than I can give at this time. There are so many aspects to a child's dream - you can help us fund one portion of a dream like this and make a huge difference with $25, $150 or more. Here's some examples of how your gift will be used:

• $25 provides a dream recipient with a goody basket full of favorite foods, toys and memorabilia associated with their dream at the notification.
• $150 provides four hours of limousine service for a child as their dream is being fulfilled.
• $500 provides tickets to an event (sporting, concert, etc.) for an entire family to which the dream child wishes to attend.

We hope you will consider giving to Macdonald Family Charity during this gift giving season. Donations and gifts can be made here. Help us continue our mission of giving hope and opportunity to the children in our community this holiday season!

Sincerely,

Katie

We are grateful for you!

This is the email that went out today for all of our friends - if you aren't on the email list we want to make sure you see it! Thank you!


Dear Macdonald Family Charity Supporters,

You receive this email because you have either volunteered or currently volunteer for the charity, have attended an event, or have generously given of yourself in a financial or timely manner. We wanted to make sure that you know that we appreciate all you do for the success of the charity.

This past year has been incredibly exciting for all of us at Macdonald Family Charity. We have made 20 dreams come true, raised over $100,000 and recruited many new volunteers to help us fulfill our mission. We couldn't have done it without you! You are making a difference in the lives of struggling children in northern Colorado and changing your community one child at a time. I want to take a second to introduce you to a child you helped beyond our wildest imaginations - David.

David's mom went to prison when David was quite young. David moved from foster home to foster home, and when it was time for mom to be released her first action was to earn him back. He has been with his mom for the past 4 years now, and she is fully committed to making sure that David's life doesn't turn out the way hers did. She wrote to us and told us of David and his struggles at school. The family is back together, yet financially they aren't able to provide the fun things in life for David. Mom hoped we could help David meet his hero, Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos. David loves playing football, and mom knew that meting Champ Bailey would give him renewed hope for his future.

On August 18 that dream became a reality at the Dove Valley Training Camp. David met his hero, Champ Bailey, and they both chatted and talked about life for a good five minutes. They laughed and joked, then took photos and Champ Bailey signed autographs. It was great for David to meet his hero face to face and his hero to take an interest in David. Here's a picture of the two of them at the practice field.

David has taken his experience and it has turned is life around. Before his dream came true, he struggled with self esteem issues, desire to succeed, and didn't apply himself. Now, he has hope for his future, works hard in school, and is continuing to practice hard to someday be a professional athlete. David was honored at a school assembly as a most improved student. We couldn't be happier for him!

David is the prime example of why we do what we do. To give a child their dream, and then see that dream have a lasting effect is something we strive for with each of our dream recipients.

Thank you for the role you have played in Macdonald Family Charity's future. We are planning on fulfilling many dreams to come, and we can't do it without you. We hope that as you plan your end of year giving you will keep us in mind. You may make donations here. Without you and your gifts, children in northern Colorado wouldn't know what it means to reach for the stars and have a dream become reality.

Sincerely,

Katie

Fun Money Ideas!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/Macys?v=app_164087800275715
This link will take you to Macy's facebook page and show you their fun and creative fundraising idea! They are raising support for the Make-A-Wish foundation and this fun little game will help them do that. Plus it fits the season! For each person that plays and wins this game, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Wow!
What a neat idea! It's so simple to get people to take the 60 seconds to complete this and then it's done. Anyone have any ideas of how Macdonald Family Charity could bring in support in a similar way?

So Thankful!

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." ~Gerald Good
A spirit of thankfulness is in the air as we approach Thanksgiving. We at the charity are so thankful for the opportunities we are daily given to impact the lives of those around us. All children dream and sometimes the happenings of life convince children that it is safer not to do so. We get the privelage of telling children that not only is it safe to dream but dreams really do come true. How thankful we are for that!
Thanksgiving Day is a day set aside for all people to join in one voice and express their gratitude for the blessings they have received. How often do you take the time to intentionally think of what you are thankful for? I find that the more I look for reasons in my life to be thankful the more aware I am of how much I have been given. Take the time right now and ask yourself "What am I thankful for?"
We want to say a great big "Thank you!" to all of you who have supported us. Whether you have given money, time, prayers, references, or something else completely, you have played a part in changing many children's lives and oh how grateful we are for you!

Why should businesses be sponsors?

As we're gearing up for our 5th Annual Mardi Gras Fashion Show, one of our first steps is to approach local businesses to become sponsors. The first question we're asked is why? Why would a business want to sponsor a fashion show - especially a business that isn't involved in clothing sales or accessories? The answer is simple, and we broke it down for you into 5 reasons. Enjoy!

1. Reach new people! Good event organizers will be able to tell potential sponsors the demographics of the attendees of any given event. For example, our demographics for attendees of the fashion show are primarily women, ages 35-55, with household incomes at $75,000 + annually, and all from northern Colorado. Marketing directors from local businesses know that this is exactly who they want to reach. They know that we will provide them with over 300 people in this group that may not have heard about their business before. Here's to more people knowing your brand!
2. Feel good! When a business decides to rally behind a non-profit, it helps the business build their corporate culture of generosity. This is an idea that has to come from the organization as a whole. When generosity is present, the entire climate of an organization changes. Postivity reigns, and the employees are more likely to be giving of themselves in new and exciting ways.
3. Recognition in the community! When a business decides to sponsor a non-profit fund raising event they get the benefits of the event's marketing for their own business. Radio, television, newspaper, and web communication all have been put together strategically to draw people to the event, and in turn, the business that is supporting the event.
4. It's easy! Many non-profits are able to process credit cards, but of course checks and cash are always welcome. If a business goes into their fiscal year with a set marketing budget for sponsorship opportunities, they are able to evaluate all of their possible sponsorship opportunities, find the ones that hit their target demographics, and determine their return on investment from there. Sponsorships are generally offered in a range of opportunities, and with that, the ability to tailor a sponsorship package to your distinct business.
5. It's fun! Most sponsorship opportunities include tickets to the event itself. Make it something to thank your staff by providing them with tickets, or use the seats to thank a valued client of your own. Not only are you showing your client and staff appreciation, you are helping the non-profit make new friends that may eventually become donors.

All in all, event sponsorships for businesses are a win-win. They increase their business recognition, create a corporate culture of gratitude, and make a difference, all while having fun and supporting a cause. What could be better than that! While we're at it - call me at (970)667-6119 if you'd like to know more about our Mardi Gras Fashion Show sponsorships! Get in on the benefits!

Katie

A big part of dreaming requires... sleep!

Macdonald Family Charity makes dreams come true. However, what if you're having a hard time sleeping? It makes it pretty difficult to dream, doesn't it? The following are some great tips on how to get some rest from Help Guide. Put them to work, and let us know if it works!

• Keep a regular sleep schedule.

• Make your bedroom sleep friendly.

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine.

• Get stress and anxiety in check.

• Eat right and get regular exercise.

• Try not to worry about sleep.

• Know when to see a sleep doctor.

Hopefully these tips and tricks will get you sleeping well and dreaming big!