Fundraising efforts with the Empty Stocking Fund won’t hit full gear for a few months, but affiliated organizations are planting the seeds for this year’s campaign.

The Empty Stocking Fund hosted its campaign kickoff Tuesday morning at the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center to review end-of-year programming, upcoming events and fundraising initiatives with all 20 receiving organizations.

Celebrating its 40-year anniversary during the 2023-2024 fundraising season, the Empty Stocking fund raised $1,605,905 dollars last year — 100% of which is donated to support 20 health and human service agencies across the Pikes Peak region.

“While we do fundraise year around, the active part of our campaign is from Thanksgiving through Jan. 25, 2025,” said Kelly Spieker, with the Gazette Charities Foundation.

There are plenty of opportunities to donate and support causes and initiatives across the region — from attainable housing and mental health treatment and care initiatives, to blood drives and resource support.

The entire donation amount is shared by the nonprofits, with no administrative costs for the annual drive, which is a project of the Gazette Charities Foundation and El Pomar Foundation.

In early February, The Gazette published five pages of names, 1,585 individuals, families, businesses and groups that had donated to this Empty Stocking Fund.

To learn more about the Empty Stocking Fund and the receiving organizations, click or tap here.

To make a donation, click or tap here.