Anythink and the Anythink Foundation are the winners of the 2021 National Philanthropy Day Inspiration Award, issued by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Colorado Chapter. National Philanthropy Day, an annual event celebrated internationally on Nov. 15, recognizes individuals, organizations, foundations and businesses for their exceptional philanthropic and volunteer contributions. The inaugural Inspiration Award is presented to an individual, team, business or non-profit that has focused recent efforts on the timely issues faced by Colorado, including but not limited to, racial justice, COVID-19 relief, and inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA). This commitment and impact are demonstrated through activities in 2020 and 2021, serving as an inspiration to others to increase community involvement, support and philanthropy.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Anythink initiated a number of services in response to the immediate needs of the community during the pandemic. These efforts ranged from COVID-related crisis response efforts to opportunities for residents to engage in creative expression and art. This includes check-in phone calls to aging adults, meal distribution and farmer’s markets for those experiencing food insecurity, technology support, virtual programming, book subscription services, bicycle lending and more. Committed to serving a diverse population across Adams County, Anythink worked with a number of trusted community partners to deliver resources during this time of transition and increased isolation. The Inspiration Award recognizes such efforts and highlights Anythink’s continued people-centric approach to service.

“One of our core values at Anythink is ‘Compassion for our customers and for each other,’ a value our staff live every day,” says Anythink Director of Strategic Partnerships Stacie Ledden. “This was exemplified in the way the staff and the organization responded to the challenges of the pandemic in our community. The people we serve are also our friends and neighbors, so we want to do everything that we can to help ensure they are happy, healthy and safe. We are honored to be recognized as part of National Philanthropy Day for this work.” 

The Anythink Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that raises private funds for library programs, projects and experiences outside of the scope of the library’s operating budget. Throughout the pandemic, the Anythink Foundation further supported the work of the library by increasing access to the arts, as well as expanding early literacy efforts like The Anythink Box, a one-of-a-kind subscription service that delivers books to kids throughout Adams County.

Anythink and the Anythink Foundation are recognized among a number of other individuals and organizations from across the state as National Philanthropy Day award recipients. The Nov. 12 award ceremony will be broadcast online, and more information is available on the AFP Colorado Chapter website.