Colorado nonprofits that serve low-income families were hard-hit when the economy stalled. Many saw their investments take a nosedive. The result was — and in many cases still is — that the nonprofits had less money to provide services just when the need among Colorado families was greatest.
In response, nonprofits have been turning to creative approaches to raise funds.
Silent and live auctions are especially popular. One, to be held on April 16, is especially interesting because it will offer donors an unusual product.
Playhouses.
Eleven playhouses, to be exact. Playhouses with a Colorado theme, designed free of charge by local architects with materials and construction donated by local vendors and contractors.
The Playhouse Project, as it is called, is brought to Denver by Rocky Mountain Communities, a nonprofit that provides 1,032 affordable housing units for people in Denver, Westminster, Greeley, Clifton and Fort Morgan.
The units, rented on a sliding scale to low-income people, are home to 1,200 children under the age of 18. Douglas Smith, chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Communities, is concerned about these children. He said, “We want to get children in our properties away from the TV, video games and cellphone screens and get them out into the natural world.”
As a result, Rocky Mountain Communities approached the Denver Botanic Gardens about hosting the auction. Proceeds from the auction will allow the Botanic Gardens’ staff to reach out to children living in the nonprofit’s housing units, mentoring them, involving them in planting community gardens, educating them about growing vegetables, and teaching them about healthy eating.
Educational programs may include field trips to the Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield facility, where children can see how vegetables are grown and meet sheep and goats. It may also include visits to the Mordecai Children’s Garden, a facility opened last year atop the Botanic Gardens’ York Street parking garage that is described as an “urban oasis,” complete with a “Springmelt Stream,” and a “Pipsqueak Pond.”
It even has a place where children can simply dig in the dirt. Director Brian Vogt laughed as he described the popularity of this site: “The children just get down and dig and dig and dig.”
Vogt said, “Many urban kids don’t grow up the way we did, playing in the dirt, catching frogs and helping our parents in the family vegetable patch. Many have never experienced planting a seed, watching a plant grow and then eating it. They haven’t had a chance to connect with nature. These are the children we want to reach.”
Rocky Mountain Communities tested the idea of auctioning playhouses last year. Five playhouses that were built and donated by Colorado teams then had a “space” theme. One especially popular playhouse included miniature space suits and outdated solar panels as a roof.
The playhouses sold for between $1,500 and $3,000 each. Two were ultimately donated back to Rocky Mountain Communities and are enjoyed by children living at two of the association’s properties.
The playhouses will have a Colorado theme this year. One playhouse will be a “covered wagon.” Another will re-create Elitch’s historic puppet theater, and a third will be a “treehouse” playhouse. Smith and Vogt hope attendance at the event will be good and that bidding will be brisk.
Tickets for the event are available at spring-celebration-and-playhouse- auction.
Enjoy a special evening of cocktails under the stars. Pretend you’re a child again and “play” with 11 creative playhouses.
Then bid on one. Give it to your children or your grandchildren. Donate it to your favorite school or preschool. Or just donate it back to Rocky Mountain Communities.
You’ll be helping to enrich the lives of some of Colorado’s poorest children.
Freelance columnist Susan Thornton (smthornton@aol.com) served 16 years on the Littleton City Council, including eight years as mayor.
