Our Simply Amazing Business Partners!

Back in 2004, when WW created the Give!Guide, it was a relatively small operation that required little required little in the way of outside assistance. Now, six years later, it’s a substantial undertaking — engaging the help of dozens of staffers and friends, as well as the nonprofits themselves, who make significant commitments to make this year-end effort work.

Even with all this help, Give!Guide simply could not exist without tremendous support from a host of incredibly generous local businesses. At the top of our list are Momentum Market Intelligence and OakTree Digital. Over the years MMI has conducted incredibly valuable surveys of donors and recipients to help us shape this Guide. In addition, MMI funds the Skidmore Prize and performs the initial vetting of nominees. OakTree designs and manages the website that processes your donations. Not only do they do great work, but they perform it at a significant discount. From MMI’s research we’ve been able to determine that the dramatic growth in Give!Guide donations — from approximately $24,000 in 2004 to breakthroughs at $224,000 in 2006 and over $800,000 last year — has been aided directly by OakTree’s fine work.

Next up are two special pals: Bank of America and Signature Graphics. At B of A, Roger Hinshaw, Rich Brown, Cheryl Freeman and several of their colleagues have helped us reduce the very significant fees credit card companies charge us to process your donations. And at Signature, WW’s long-standing printer, Dan and Brian Dutton have generously made a substantial contribution toward the cost of printing this year’s Give!Guide. On top of this, we’ve gotten a nice boost from WW’s attorneys, Davis Wright Tremaine, and our team of accountants, Thompson, Kessler, Wiest & Borquist.

From early on, Ed and Richard at E & R Wine Shop on SW Macadam have been tremendous supporters of the Give!Guide. Any of you who donates more than $500 will be their beneficiary. Peet’s Coffee & Tea is providing coffee and coffee drinks, and Stash Tea is providing the tea.

Finally, you’ll see in the listings that a number of local companies and organizations have stepped up in a big way to match your gifts. And Give!Guide’s Roll of Honor, at the end of the booklet, contains messages from other firms and organizations who are helping to defray the costs of this effort.

Our hats are off to all of you — and to everyone who helped us arrange the incentives listed elsewhere on this page.

Great thanks!