What You Need to Know About The 2019 Denver Giving Machines #LightTheWorld
You have probably heard by now that this year Denver will be a host city for the much sought after “Giving Machines.”
What follows is a summary of the core information about the Giving Machines in Denver this year.
Where Are The Machines Located?
3 Machines will be installed in a single location in Downtown Denver. They will be hosted at Writer Square on the 16th St Mall. The address is 1504 Larimer Street. Click here for more information about the location, parking, and public transportation.
When Can I Visit The Machines?
The machines will be officially opened at 11 am on Nov 26th and will then be available daily from 9 am to 11 pm through January 1st.
How Do The Machines Work?
The machines are set up just like a vending machine. Foam cards are in the vending machine racks that represent the individual items available to donate.
When you make a donation at the machine one of the cards representing the item(s) you donated will fall down into a collection area.
The actual donations are counted electronically and the individual charities receive the donation checks from The Church of Jesus Christ after the new year.
What Can I Donate At The Machines?
At the machines, six different charities are represented and each has five items available that you can donate. The six charities include 4 local organizations and two global ones.
Charities:
- Black Child Development Institute
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver
- Rose Andom Center
- Mile High Ministries
- Water for People
- CWS Global
Click here to learn more about each organization.
Items available for donation range in cost from $3 to $300 and any single transaction is limited to $1500.
Click here to see the full detailed list of every item available for donation.
How Much Of My Donation Will The Charity Receive?
100% of your donation will go toward the thing you donated. For an example of you donate a pig, which is a $100 donation here is what happens with those funds:
You pay $100. Credit card merchants charge a transaction fee that varies between 2 and 5% so for example if the fee were 5% then $95 would be received into the LDS Charities fund.
The church covers that transaction fee and provides $100 to the designated charity.
If that charity has administrative fees or costs necessary in order to get the piglet to the end consumer those will also be covered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints up to 10% (and the charities do not have administrative costs in excess of 10%). So the Church would cut a check to the charity for $110 and $100 of that $110 will purchase piglets.
The long story short is that your exact dollar donation amount will go toward the thing you donated.
What Forms Of Payment Are Accepted?
All major credit cards are accepted. You cannot donate using cash or check.
Can I Donate Without Visiting The Machines?
Each of the charities represented accepts donations directly. If you are unable to visit the machines in person we encourage you to contact one or more of these charities directly to make a donation.
There is no way to donate via the machines without visiting the machines
How Can I Prepare For My Visit To The Machines?
If possible visit the machines during the day. During evening hours and weekends, lines are expected and wait times will be longer.
Visit this website and plan out your donation in detail to limit how long it will take you to make your actual donation at the machines. Given the anticipated wait lines, making your donation plans in advance will help limit how long others will have to wait in line.
Plan to snap a few pictures and share your experience with your friends and networks on social media and via other electronic communication!
How Can I Volunteer And Help With The Machines?
Volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have already been assigned to man the machines and help visitors make their donations.
If you are interested in bringing a large group, providing music for those visiting the machines, handing out materials, or otherwise contributing to the effort please contact your Stake’s Public Affairs Director or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this webpage.
The biggest and most significant way to support the Giving Machines effort is to invite a friend or neighbor to visit the machines with you and make a donation. Then share your experience with others.
Lastly, remember the giving machines are a small part of the larger #LightTheWorld campaign of the Church, encouraging all people worldwide to server others the way Jesus Christ did.
Visit lighttheworld.org and learn more about how you can spread the light of Christ this holiday season!
