EMPTY STOCKING FUND: 2009 goal is $1 million

When times are tough, a community sometimes finds ways to come together to help its own.

That’s what organizers of The Gazette-El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund hope to inspire with this year’s campaign. Under the banner “Every One Counts,” the goal is to raise $1 million for 14 area nonprofit agencies.

Now in its 26th year, the Empty Stocking Fund has raised more than $9.3 million for local charities.

“It’s just great to see people caring about each other and whether they have what they need to get by,” said Amanda Mountain, director of Gazette Charities.

Many of these charities say their resources are being stretched thin right now — not only is it hard to raise money in a down economy, but high unemployment means that more people are relying on the safety net to catch them when they fall. For some of the charities, the Empty Stocking Fund represents a significant portion of their budgets. The Pikes Peak Community Action Agency, Tri-Lakes Cares and Westside CARES each rely on the fund for more than 10 percent of their operating budgets.

The campaign starts today, and checks will be cut to charities throughout the holiday season to help them meet needs. A series of stories in The Gazette — running Thanksgiving through Christmas — will give you a deeper look at what the charities do and who they help.

“Over the past several years the generosity of this community has been exemplified by the tremendous growth of the Empty Stocking Fund,” said Bill Hybl, chairman and CEO of the $550 million El Pomar Foundation. “It is no secret that in this economic climate the needs are greater than ever.

“We are hopeful, because we’ve seen it done in the past, that those who have the ability to give will trust their contributions to a fund that makes an enormous difference here in the Pikes Peak region.”

The Empty Stocking Fund set a record by raising about $1.3 million in 2008, in the midst of an economic crisis. That smashed the goal of $1 million, but Mountain said organizers are hesitant to raise the goal until economic fortunes improve.

The fund gets a major boost each year from the foundations that support it. The El Pomar Foundation will come through with up to $200,000 in matching funds, and the Bruni Foundation will kick in up to $70,000 in matches — that means every dollar from donors will turn into about $1.50.

Since El Pomar, The Gazette and ADD STAFF foot the bill for administrative costs, 100 percent of donations go to the agencies.

One blow this time around is that The Gazette will not donate its expected $70,000 in matches to the fund, due to the obligations of the paper’s parent company as it is restructured.

That loss is overcome by the generosity of two individuals. Dale and Ruth Hylton left a portion of their estate to the Empty Stocking Fund, giving the fund a head start of roughly $230,000.

Mountain stressed that this kind of large gift is rare. A long roster of local businesses find ways to raise money, she said, and regular folks move the fund toward its goal a few dollars at a time.

The Empty Stocking Fund attracted 3,000 donors last year, so it’s not just high rollers taking part.

The theme “Every One Counts” certainly applies to each homeless teen, shut-in senior, and out-of-work father who is helped, but it also applies to each donor who takes part. Mountain sees the fund as a way to build lifelong philanthropists in the community.

“Even if you can only donate $5, you can change somebody’s life,” she said. “You don’t have to make a lot of money or have a fancy job title.”

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Call the writer at 636-0226.