Volunteer of the Year 2017 Kathleen Froese receiving commemorative dish from GCCF Chair Barrett Brewer. Photo courtesy of Silver City Daily Press and photographer C.P. ThompsonFifth annual Give Grandly set to raise $500,000 by end of day on May 5, 2018

January 24, 2018, Silver City - The dining room of Bear Mountain Lodge buzzed as more than 90 representatives from nonprofit service agencies across four counties mingled on Wednesday, January 17; the annual Give Grandly Kick Off Continental Breakfast has become a highly anticipated event for all nonprofit agencies, and this year's fifth breakfast was no exception. The event, which is hosted by the Grant County Community Foundation, is the first step on the road to Give Grandly, a 24-hour period of charitable giving and celebration of nonprofits who serve southwest New Mexico.

In the past four years, more than 80 nonprofits have raised a collective total of $366,000 and this year, the group's ambitious plan is to raise that collective total to $500,000, to mark the fifth year of collaboration and philanthropy. Peggy Hutchinson, secretary of Grant County Community Foundation (GCCF), announced that this year's event will again be on the opening day of the Silver City Farmers Market, May 5, 2018. Hutchinson also announced the tradition of offering matching funds will continue this year. The United Way of Southwest New Mexico will again support the event by covering any credit card fees, so every cent of every donation goes to a nonprofit.

The Give Grandly event is a collaboration of local nonprofits who formed the Southwest Nonprofit Coalition (SWNPC) and relies on committees and volunteer work to be successful. During the breakfast, participants were asked to offer a few hours a month to help plan the event in either the outreach committee, event committee, budget/legal committee, and thank you committees. In recognition of the stellar work from the 2017 Give Grandly, Barrett Brewer awarded the Give Grandly Volunteer of the Year 2017 to Kathleen Froese and Give Grandly Committee Chair to Marilynn Freeman.

The next planning meeting for Give Grandly is scheduled for 9:00 A.M. Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 1109 Pope Street in the Nonprofit Center (formerly the office of sustainability). All regional 501(c)3 status nonprofit agencies are invited to participate in this year's Give Grandly and to attend this meeting. The registration form and fee to participate in Give Grandly must be submitted no later than March 31, 2018; for registration forms and more information, visit www.givegrandly.org. Forms and fees may be submitted electronically to gccfliaison@gmail.com or mailed to SWNPC, P.O. 1767, Silver City, NM, 88062.