Frequently Asked Questions

You will find many advantages to working with us to support more students to earn college credentials, including: We combine a donor’s passions with the college’s priorities to achieve impact, giving you the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping create paths to greater economic opportunity for others. We provide you information about your gift and its impact on students. We offer opportunities to be recognized (or remain anonymous) by being part of giving societies like Gateway Society for those that make planned gifts, President’s Society for donors who give $1,000 or more in a single year, and the Fund Our Future society for those that give $1,000 or more unrestricted gift.

The Foundation is an independent charitable 501(c)(3) organization designated by the college to receive, manage, invest, and disburse private gifts to the college. Fundraising activities are managed by the CCA Foundation staff. CCA Foundation leadership and staff are ultimately responsible to an independent Board of Directors.

Many companies offer employees — and sometimes spouses and retirees — a gift-matching benefit that multiplies their donations to a charitable organization. Some Colorado companies may require you to give through their giving platform or on a special giving day like Colorado Gives Day. Please visit your human resources office to learn more about gift-matching or utilize the Charity Navigator tool to search for your company

(https://www.charitynavigator.org/donor-basics/giving-101/employee-match-programs/). Call CCA Foundation at 303-361-7416 if you need help and we will look into it.

Exactly as you direct. When you make a gift to support CCA through the CCA Foundation, you communicate the purpose and specific area of the college that will benefit from your generosity. Upon receipt of your gift, the CCA Foundation will send you an thank you letter that confirms the amount of and the purpose of your gift you can use for tax purposes.

When you establish an endowment, you are making a gift that is invested to create even greater impact in the decades ahead. The funds are invested according to CCA Foundation’s investment policy statement guidelines instead of being spent immediately. Each July, part of the endowed fund’s balance is directed toward the charitable impact supported by the endowed fund. We call this distribution amount our spending policy and it typically ranges between 4.0-4.5%. The CCA Foundation assesses a 1% annual administrative fee to each endowed fund to help cover the costs of its scholarship and college program support programs. The rest of the endowed fund’s earnings stay invested to continue increasing the impact of your generosity.

Our endowment funds are invested and managed by our Investment Management Firm, selected by the CCA Foundation Board of Directors and overseen by the Finance & Investment Committee. During its spring meeting, the Committee determines its annual endowment spending policy, the amount to be provided for each endowed scholarship and program in the upcoming fiscal year.

While any amount can be added to an existing endowment the minimum amount necessary to establish a new endowment is $10,000. The process is simple, straight forward, and starts with a conversation. Please email or call John Wolfkill at [email protected] or 303-360-4833 to start the conversation. We can establish a new endowed fund in 24-hours if needed.

Yes. We encourage you to support your passion by designating your gift to the scholarship, academic program, or student experience most important to you. Your gift’s designation is confirmed on the donor receipt we will send you after you make a gift. Every gift of every amount makes an impact!

If you need help deciding how your gift could have the greatest impact, our staff is happy to provide information about the college’s and our students’ greatest needs.

Yes. Your donation can support a lab, student collaboration space, classroom, a new building on campus like the Center for STEM, Power Mechanics and Applied Technologies, CCA’s new third campus location, or just about anything else on any of our campuses. That includes funding for construction, maintenance, equipment, supplies and renovation. We can provide information about current projects that would greatly benefit from additional support.

Yes. You can pledge a monthly, quarterly or annual contribution. Contact John Wolfkill at [email protected] or Katlynn Del Dotto at [email protected] to discuss the details of your pledge.

We enjoy publicizing gifts and celebrating our supporters. We want to make sure you know just how much you mean to us. Honoring your generosity reminds others about the importance of supporting CCA and about the tremendous economic impact CCA is having on the region. Publicity might include news releases, articles in newspapers, feature stories in CCA publications or on our website, or other appropriate recognition approved by the donor. However, we respect your desire for anonymity to the full extent allowable. Just let us know of your wishes when you make your donation. If you are creating a new scholarship fund with us, the Agreement has a place to designate your desire to remain anonymous.

Yes. Many donors give to honor a loved one or an important individual. Just let us know that your gift is in honor or memory of another person, or if you wish to give in another’s name. If you do not wish to remain anonymous, we will then notify the person you are honoring or that person’s family of your gift (typically, we only mention that you gave, not how much).

Unrestricted gifts provide funding that is not limited to a specific CCA program, scholarship, or department. These gifts address the college’s greatest needs, whatever those may be or support the general operations of the foundation. For every dollar spent on foundation operations, CCA Foundation provides more than $4 to the college through scholarships and program support. Restricted gifts support the specific purpose you choose, such as a specific scholarship or program.

Although we greatly appreciate all gifts, unrestricted funds are critical because they allow us to address unexpected challenges, take advantage of unique opportunities, and meet the evolving challenges of our students.

Your check should be made out to the Community College of Aurora Foundation. In the memo section you can indicate the scholarship name, academic program, or purpose you desire to support. Our mailing address is CCA Foundation, 16000 E. CentreTech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011.

Gifts to the Community College of Aurora Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax attorney or financial adviser to determine if your gift is tax-deductible. We will send you a gift receipt that shows the date of the gift, the amount of the gift, and the purpose of the gift. Have questions about your receipt letter? Please contact Katlynn Del Dotto, Senior Director of Development, at [email protected].

Yes. Our staff is knowledgeable, discreet and enjoys helping our donors accomplish their charitable goals. The CCA Foundation team works closely with college leadership and donors to match-up a donor’s passions with college and student priorities. For more information about giving opportunities, please contact John Wolfkill at [email protected] or Katlynn Del Dotto at [email protected].

Due to accessibility reasons, financial documents are not available on our website. For audited financial documents or annual impact reports please contact Katlynn Del Dotto at [email protected]