Contribute – Many Ways to Support The Colorado Trail

The Colorado Trail Foundation relies on the generosity of donors to help us fulfill our mission. Grants from foundations, corporate sources and the U.S. Forest Service cover about 25% of our annual operating expenses. The rest comes from individual contributions big and small.

There are many ways to support the CTF:

Online Donation

Simply by clicking the donation icon below, you can make a direct donation using a credit or debit card or PayPal account.

Note the Donation form’s option that allows you to honor someone or some event by clicking on “Dedicated to a Person or Occasion.” You can also direct your funds to the the Gudy Gaskill Endowment Fund, which has limited purposes.

Recurring Gift

The Donate form has a checkbox, “Make This a Recurring Donation.” You can choose monthly or yearly.

Donate by Mail

Also, The Colorado Trail Foundation sends out periodic Friends letters that include updates on the Trail as well as a twice-yearly Tread Lines newsletter. Enclosed in each are donation envelopes for those who prefer to contribute by mail. You may download a Donation Form that you can print out and mail in with a check.

Colorado Trail Online Store

Purchase any of the Trail-related items – maps, guidebooks, clothing, tools and commemoratives – from the CTF’s online store and the profits from the sale goes to the Foundation. You can access the store through any page at ColoradoTrail.org, or shop now.

Shop Amazon Smile

Through its Amazon Smile philanthropic program, Amazon contributes a half percent of eligible purchases to a buyer’s designated charity. On your first visit to Smile.Amazon.com select The Colorado Trail Foundation as your designated charity. Then continue shopping there as normal.

Colorado Gives Day

Colorado Gives Day, a program of the Community First Foundation, is held the second Tuesday each December. Its aim is to increase contributions to more than 2,700 nonprofit organizations throughout the state, including The Colorado Trail Foundation. Watch for CTF e-mails or check our Facebook page for the date of this year’s event. For more information, go to the CTF landing page at ColoradoGives.org.

Legacy Giving

Help ensure that the Trail will be here for future generations by including The Colorado Trail Foundation in your will or living trust. Your financial adviser, attorney or accountant can help you set up a charitable gift to the Foundation in the form of cash, stocks, bonds, or from proceeds of insurance policies or the sale of property. You can also designate the CTF as a beneficiary of an insurance policy, IRA or pension plan.

IRA Required Minimum Distribution

Donate all or a portion of your RMD directly to the CTF (a qualifying charity) and receive an exclusion from taxable income without having to itemize deductions. Consult your tax professional about making a “qualified charitable distribution.” The CTF can provide the transfer account info to you or your investment advisor.

Publicly Traded Securities

You can donate publicly traded securities to the CTF. If you have held the donated securities for more than one year, you may receive additional tax benefits from the donation. Please contact your tax advisor about any possible benefits. Then, simple and easy – just call CTF at 303-384-3729 for instructions on how to accomplish the donation.

By choosing to help us protect and preserve The Colorado Trail, you will be part of something bigger than your financial gift: You will help create memories and inspire life lessons.

Contributions to the CTF are tax deductible. Tax ID, 84-1057336.

And, of course, another way you can contribute is to