The giving tree

By Christine Haddon,
CMC Development Director

Founded on the principals of responsible yet exciting recreation, the Colorado Mountain Club has taken many turns in its ninety-one-year history and proven itself to be much more than a recreational club. In 2003, the club has 10,000 active members, manypopular trips, schools and workshops, a conservation program that truly makes a difference in Colorado, and an ever-expanding Youth Education Pro-gram “YEP!” that will change the way 7,000 school-aged youth see Colorado’s mountain environments.

Our members mean so much to the success of our organization.

Member contributions of time and en-ergy, as well as financial support, make the CMC Colorado’s premiere outdoor organization and one of the largest outdoor education, recreation, and conservation clubs in the country.

During the next few months, you will have several different and exciting ways to show your support to the CMC: the second annual Mountain Festival, the Annual Giving Campaign, and program support. While we realize that members will choose the method of support that best suits them, we hope that each CMC member will recognize the benefit of providing support in one or all of these ways.

Second annual Mountain FestivalѓWhere the
Mountains Meet the Sky”

This year’s Mountain Festival is a great way to introduce friends and family to the CMC by bringing them to one (or all) of the events and activities happening throughout the ten-day festival. Grounded in the mission of the CMC, the festival highlights the mountain experience through art, science, literature, and recreation. The Landscape Art and Student Art shows, the CMC book release reception, MOUNTAINFILM, Gordon Wiltsie, and the ground-breaking partnership with the John GaltÑGolden Theater to bring K2 by Patrick Myers to Colorado are all made possible through the support of our members and corporate sponsorsÑcontinuing the CMC legacy.

2003 Annual Giving Campaign

In November, Colorado mail carriers will deliver another great op-por-tu-nity to support the Colorado Mountain Club right to your doorÑthe CMC Annual Giving Campaign. The importance of this yearly request cannot be over-emphasized. A generous donation in November provides year-long funds that support the continued growth of our schools, the increase in recreational opportunities, member benefits, continued outreach to youth, preservation of Colorado’s wild areas, and the publishing of books, as well as providing support to the less-glamorous daily operations.

Giving made easy When you
open the envelope containing the Annual Giving Campaign, you may notice something dif-ferent. Mak-ing a contribution to the CMC has never been easier: you can now enroll in our monthly giving program. This allows you to make a monthly contribution to the CMC by deducting a set amount directly from your checking or credit card account. This easy method allows you to turn a $10 contribution into $120, or a $25 contribution into $300 throughout the year. All of the information you need to enroll will be included in this year’s Annual Giving Campaign. Your continued support keeps the Colorado Mountain Club working hard for Colorado and you.

Still meeting the challengeÊÊThis spring we announced that the Youth Education Program was the recipient of a $10,000 challenge grant by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. This grant must be matched by December 14, 2003 or we lose it. We are on a path of attaining that goal; however, we still need your help.

One of our corporate partners, The Duck Company of Arvada, has generously donated custom t-shirts to help us reach the $10,000 goal. When you make a tax-deductible contribution of $20 or more to the YEP! Challenge Grant campaign, we will send you a sturdy cotton t-shirt emblazoned with colorful artwork that was displayed as part of last year’s student art show. It’s a great way to show your support of the CMC Youth Education Program and provide the resources for us to reach the youth who are the future of Colorado.

As the Colorado Mountain Club continues to grow, so will the opportunities that members have to show their support. Please choose to support the CMC in an area that matches your passion; for recreation, education, conservationÑfor Colorado.

Many thanks to all of our members who keep the Colorado Mountain Club close to their hearts.P