Do people make charitable gifts to a city? They do. The City of Fort Collins has long been the beneficiary of charitable gifts: The Senior Center, Inspiration Playground, conservation easements, The Lincoln Center. And, most recently, the Poudre River Whitewater Park and the expansion of The Gardens on Spring Creek.

And, there are many other ways charitable giving impacts our City services: climate action, parks and recreation, performing arts, and the list goes on.

Historically, fundraising for City projects has been disjointed and uncoordinated. We’ve heard from donors, foundations and volunteers that giving to the City has been unpredictable. It’s been complicated with no uniform pathway or processes. Yet, we’ve also heard the City of Fort Collins has a valuable role to play in our community’s philanthropic landscape.

Recently, local governments have taken a new outlook on how to address pressing issues and provide the public services most critical to their community. For the City of Fort Collins, this “localist” approach includes how we manage charitable giving to support and realize the City’s vision and mission.

City Give is a pioneering umbrella for the many philanthropic and fundraising activities across the City of Fort Collins departments and projects. It will provide a single space for the City to engage with private donors and passionate residents. City Give will coordinate charitable giving to the City, and create a bridge between the community giving and City priorities.

The City Give Director, a dedicated staff member, will orchestrate the philanthropic efforts of the City; guide expectations of generous donors, passionate support leagues, and the City; pair donor priorities with City philanthropic efforts; ensure charitable priorities align with City Plan and the City’s strategic objectives; work with staff and donors to guarantee internal processes and external laws are followed; and serve as a point-of-contact for potential donors and passionate givers who want to contribute.

As charitable gifts to the City of Fort Collins are tax-deductible and can’t be redirected by elected officials or senior leadership, the City’s financial services team plays an essential role in the financial management of charitable partnerships. This financial oversight creates an unprecedented tracking, accountability, and reporting of charitable giving.

The City of Fort Collins strives to deliver exceptional service each and every day to the residents of our community. However, community needs are always deeper than any City’s budget.

Community giving isn’t expected to fill gaps in the City’s operating budget. But it can deepen community opportunity as well as expand City programs and services: from youth recreation to public art, from neighborhood park improvements to urban gardens, from the performing arts to the preservation of open spaces.