Our 2012 Community CHIP donations totaled over $220,000 from both Willy Street Co-op sites. Those donations are invaluable, allowing Community Shares of Wisconsin (CSW) to support all of our member groups. Thanks to all of you who say yes to CHIP. Thanks too to all of the Co-op staff. Without all of you working together, this critical funding wouldn’t exist.
In other news, CHIP donations are also deductible, with the recent merger of CSW and CHIP.
Crystel Anders, CSW Executive Director, explained that there were two key reasons for the merger. One was Co-op Owners’ requests that CHIP donations become tax deductible. “The Co-op is a great partner for us, and we want to be responsive to those requests. In addition, having a single nonprofit will result in cost savings—fewer licensing and auditing fees, for example.”
Anders also noted similarities in structure, and in the vision for the community, shared by both CSW and the Co-op. “Like Willy Street Co-op, we too are directed by our members—in this case our member groups. Our board comprises four community representatives and a representative from each of our 62 member nonprofits. Our member groups provide the direction for the entire CSW organization. They have great commitment to, and responsibility for, CSW’s success.”
She added that the new CSW tagline is: Many people, many dreams, one community. “The unified work of CSW and CHIP donors beautifully illustrates this message. We have always relied on the active involvement of large numbers of people wanting to create change.
“We see our CHIP donors at the Co-op as equally important in our work,” Anders continued. “They represent another aspect of the community there to help us—and all of our member groups—achieve lasting change.”
Both the Co-op and CSW value the long-term partnership that has allowed them, together, to raise these needed funds for grassroots nonprofits in our community.
