Our Mission
Our mission is to make a meaningful impact in the town of Colchester by bringing local community members together and combining financial resources to support common causes.
How Colchester Cares Works
Members join Colchester Cares and commit to donating $100 every quarter. Each quarter, members get together to discuss needs in the town, then vote on where to send the group's collective donations. The result is intentional, focused giving that makes a big impact in the town.
Step 1: Become a Member
Join Colchester Cares and commit to donating $100 (tax deductible) every quarter (4 times a year) to non-profits, charities, groups, businesses or worthy causes in the town of Colchester. You don't need to be a resident of Colchester to join, but all donations are used to support Colchester entities. Membership is flexible and you don't have to make a long-term commitment. You can revoke your membership at any time and rejoin later if you'd like. Join and work with other members to support local philanthropic efforts over time. Click here to become a member.
Step 2: Attend the Quarterly Meeting & Vote
Colchester Cares members get together on the second Tuesday of every quarter. Members share information and ideas about worthy causes within the community. Every member then has a chance to submit one cause for consideration. After the meeting, all members get a chance to review the causes and vote on their top 3 via an online survey.
Members don't have to attend meetings to make a donation and be involved. Meetings last no more than 1 hour and are optional. The next quarterly meeting will be held on January 14th, 2025 at 7pm.
Members don't have to attend meetings to make a donation and be involved. Meetings last no more than 1 hour and are optional. The next quarterly meeting will be held on January 14th, 2025 at 7pm.
Step 3: Financial Distributions Given to Worthy Causes
After the quarterly meeting, Colchester Cares sends the quarterly financial distribution to the top 3 voted causes (currently we split the pool evenly among all 3). 100% of all donations collected for that quarter are distributed. For example, if we have 40 active members in a given quarter, the group collectively distributes $4,000. That's the power of the combined resources of a giving group!
Why Colchester Cares?
The Colchester Cares giving model makes giving back to the community easy! Being a part of the group is a fun way to be intentional in your giving and allows a chance to learn from and collaborate with other members about how to support the town. This model has proven effective in other communities across Connecticut and the United States.
By focusing on our community's needs and combining resources, we can make a big impact in the town of Colchester."
