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version of started small. It’s grown up over the past 14 years.

The effort to participate in an organized day of giving started with just three local nonprofits: ,  the and the . This year, 55 local nonprofits are participating.

Brooke Skjonsby, the executive director for the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, for many years served on the board of the Eagle County Gives board, and for several years led that board before stepping away, although she said she’s still “very much involved in the group’s activities.”

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Skjonsby said getting involved in the Eagle County Gives effort, for both the Community Fund and other groups, comes from the realization that “we’re just so much stronger together.”

The Eagle County Gives Day effort this year is led by Grace Anshutz, the director of development and marketing for the Eagle Valley Community Foundation. Anshutz is president of the Eagle County Gives executive board this year after serving in previous years as the marketing chair, secretary and vice president.

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Anshutz said this year of leading the monthly meetings has been “amazing,” and that bringing together representatives of 55 local nonprofits has been inspiring to learn more about what those big and small groups do for the community — from environmental efforts to working with children and other efforts.

The county effort also has drawn attention from the Colorado Gives effort.

Lisa Isom of the Colorado Mountain College Foundation is the secretary of the local executive board. She noted that the Eagle County group is the biggest local group in the state.

“It’s a spot of pride for us,” Isom said.

Anshutz noted that the “statewide effort looks to Eagle County.” The reason, she said, is the relationships forged between the groups. That collaboration works for everyone.

While competition is a natural instinct, Anshutz said she’s never seen anyone see a need to have “sharp elbows.”

Isom said she’s also never seen a need for competition in her work on the college foundation.

“I was worried I’d be competing (with the Education Foundation of Eagle County),” Isom said. “But we’re all working toward the same goal.”

The Eagle County group also can raise a lot of money for Eagle County causes.

Anshutz noted that the 2023 effort raised about $1.4 million. That came from 2,300 donors making 4,645 donations. Statewide, the day of giving raised $54 million from more than 90.000 individuals.

Isom noted that working together involves bringing together nonprofit groups that have paid staff and others that are often volunteer groups that sometimes just have one or a few people running the organizations.

And, Isom added, Anshutz has done a good job ensuring that the big and small groups have equitable display space at rallies and other events promoting Eagle County Gives Day.

“We’re all in partnership,” Isom said.

Anshutz said besides the work from nonprofits, there’s a growing list of businesses involved in the fundraising efforts. This year’s list includes newcomers Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea, which has promotional QR codes on their cups, and Blue Moose Pizza, which has put Eagle County Gives flyers on its pizza boxes. Vail Brewing Company has brewed a new beer, Community Kolsch, in honor of community giving.

For Skjonsby, the Colorado Gives landscape is far different than when she first got involved in 2010.

“It shows what’s possible when we all come together,” she said.