Inspiring a COMMUNITY of GIVERS by Karen Garcia when they thought about holiday gifts last year, Patricia and Carlos knew they wanted to give their grandchildren a special item or two as they always did. But they decided that Scott and Anna were old enough to receive another kind of gift as well, one that would last a lifetime: The gift of giving. What made it simple, they told us, was the debut edition of CanDo’s Napa Valley Give!Guide. Gathering their grandchildren together, they explained that each child would have $20 to give. They talked about why - along with family and food and receiving presents - sharing their blessings was an important part of the holiday season. First, they all sat around the kitchen table and reviewed the Give!Guide catalog. With cocoa, cookies and colored markers in hand, the kids looked at pictures, took turns reading brief write-ups, and then flipped over page corners when they found charitable groups they might want to support. After much talk and not a few cookies, they made their selections and moved on to the computer where they excitedly found their charities and completed their transactions. Scott gave in honor of his grandmother and grandfather. Anna chose her music teacher. At the end of the first Give!Guide campaign, the $40 that Scott and Anna donated through the generosity of their grandparents, helped bolster the grand total of the two month time period to $107,000. That’s direct help to the nonprofits, but each donation also has the potential to become part of a legacy of giving. This year, Napa Valley CanDo volunteers return this new way of giving to the Valley. In communities already known for their generosity, the Give!Guide eases the path from your good intentions to action. Here are 15 reasons why the 2014 Give!Guide makes so much sense. 1. You can give to any of 40 fabulous nonprofits serving Napa County. 2. You can donate to one or more organizations in varying amounts beginning at $10. 3. A compressed time-frame—November 1 – December 31—encourages year-end giving and supports all those good-hearted procrastinators out there. 4. It provides multiple ways to donate: Give using the print catalog, our website in English and Spanish (NVGiveGuide.org) or via your smart phone. 5. If you choose, honor someone with your gift by providing their name. 6. It’s easy: One-click completes all your taxdeductible 46 www.nAPAVA L L E Y L I F Emagaz ine.com transactions with one charge to your credit card. 7. Tax-deductible receipts will be sent to you by each nonprofit to whom you’ve donated. 8. The website’s real-time ticker shows donations hour by hour. 9. There are terrific daily incentives for donors. See website for details. 10. It provides a creative opportunity for adults and children to give together. 11. Organizations, like scouting and schools, can use the Give!Guide to learn about local charitable efforts. 12. With the exception of usual credit card costs, all funds go to your selected nonprofits. CanDo takes no fee. 13. The CanDo Spirit Award, sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners, recognizes with a $1000 prize the dedication and hard work of one committed, young nonprofit employee. 14. A festive kick-off celebration (November 6), free and open to the public, sets the tone. See website for details. 15. Finally, the Give!Guide fosters powerful, positive impacts: It raises funds and awareness for small to large local groups doing great work every day. It encourages collaboration among non-profit organizations. It helps cultivate a culture of giving for young and old, businesses and the nonprofit sector, first time givers and veteran philanthropists. This year, many of the nonprofits featured in the Napa Valley Give!Guide found themselves displaced by the earthquake. Those they serve were faced with increased challenges. We’ve all reached out and helped in so many ways. Let the Give!Guide help continue those efforts. NapaValleyGiveGuide.org facebook.com/NapaValleyCanDo Need multiple copies of the Give!Guide for your group? Email us: NVGiveGuide@ gmail.com. 15 reasons to make CanDo’s 2014 Napa Valley Give!Guide part of your holiday season
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