New gift brochure offers ideas on how the community can
donate
Gilroy – Residents pondering how they can give back to the community have a new guidepost at their fingertips – a gift brochure that spells out a wish list of items from trash cans to picnic shelters.
The colorful Community Contributions Gift Brochure depicts a variety of items and their cost, ranging from an $85 tree to a $50,000 picnic shelter. The city plans to present donors with a certificate and to place small plaques on benches and other public fixtures purchased with donations.
“There have been a huge number of requests from the community saying a loved one has passed away and they’d love to plant a tree or similar requests, but we really didn’t have anything in place to accommodate them,” said Community Services Director Susan Andrade-Wax.
The brochure, put together in recent months by City Operations Manager Carla Ruigh, is the touchstone for a host of giving options and naming policies developed in recent years. The policies govern donations small and large, including naming rights of buildings and parks after major donors and people of historical or social significance.
The naming policy was crafted in anticipation of the future arts center in downtown Gilroy, expected to be constructed in the next three years. An independent campaign to raise $3 million to operate the facility has already brought in more than 60 percent of the goal, giving donors like the Christopher family, who gave $1.25 million, the chance to name parts of the facility after family members or other loved ones.
The idea of a gift brochure itemizing smaller gifts is nothing new, according to City Administrator Jay Baksa, who said the concept dates back to the ’80s.
“The goal in reviving this a few years back was to give options to our citizens in case they felt an urge to give,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be something in the brochure. Maybe it’s something unique or creative you’d like to give, like funding a program. … It’s a guide for people who have an interest in giving back to the community, but don’t know what mechanism to use.”
People interested in getting a copy of the brochure or learning more about the city’s naming policies should contact the Community Services Department at 846-0460.
