2020 as Year One

Someday, we’ll look back on 2020 and cringe with a shiver, glad that it’s behind us. For BookGive, though, 2020 was our Year One.

BookGive is about to celebrate the anniversary of its first official board meeting. What a year it has been! As one board member put it, “Who starts a nonprofit during a pandemic? But we are here and having an impact.”

Reflecting on this first year, we took the time to interview some of BookGive’s founding board members – Kalen Landow who serves as secretary, Eric Crouser who serves as Treasurer, and Rebecca Caldwell – to find out why they joined the Board, what reading has meant to them, and how they see the organization contributing to the community during this admittedly weird time.

What is it that causes someone to sign up to be a board member of an organization like BookGive? As it turns out, everyone was inspired by BookGive’s founder, Nicole Sullivan, and by BookGive’s mission and vision.

“Nicole asked me! I think the world of her and of BookBar.”
“I’m a believer in Nicole and the concept of BookGive.”
“I knew this was a project I wanted to be involved with and even better that it was started by Nicole, who is someone I’ve admired.”
“I am an evangelist for books and reading.”

To understand Nicole’s outsized influence, it’s important to know that BookGive is the nonprofit arm of BookBar, the community-minded independent bookstore/wine bar on Tennyson, which is owned by none other than our founder, Nicole Sullivan. For the full BookGive birth story, read this.

When asked about what board members learned during this first year, the word “pivot” came up a lot.

“I’ve learned how to pivot when things don’t go as planned. Back in March, we were planning big fundraisers and community events.”

“It’s been inspiring to watch Nicole and Melissa (BookGive’s executive director) pivot and BookGive still be super successful in only our first year of existence.”

The ability to commit to the mission and vision of BookGive while staying creative and flexible has enabled BookGive to collect and give away “thousands and thousands” of books – the official count now surpassing 25,000 – across the metro area, and to apply for and receive our first grant.

At the start of 2020, the board had completed the bylaws and paperwork necessary to receive our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and were just beginning to plan a VIP opening and other fundraising events. Instead of sipping at soirees, they were meeting on zoom and rethinking BookGive’s launch plans. The board decided to focus on operations. Getting books into people’s hands was something we could accomplish even with limited hours and shutdowns. Wondering how we did it? Read this and watch this.

BookGive envisions truly rich lives for all Denver metro residents. We believe that book ownership and access are two key factors in achieving a high standard of living. Reading opens us up to new ideas and allows us to step into the stories of people quite different from ourselves. To that end, making books freely accessible is our mission, our work toward that vision.

The board members at BookGive feel personally connected to this vision in part because they understand how reading can enhance a person’s life. Some started reading at a young age – Rebecca noting that as a child her nose was often in a book – which, as we know, is an important indicator of long-term success in life.

Books that got our board interested in reading:

• Fantasy and sci-fi—The Narnia Chronicles, by C.S. Lewis (Rebecca)
• Fiction—The Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, All-of-a-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor, anything by Judy Blume (Kalen)
• Historical fiction—Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy (Eric)

Books that have played a significant role in their lives:

From Eric: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Persig. “It helped me start viewing the world differently.”

From Rebecca: A Wrinkle in Time, the series, by Madeline L’Engle. “The books’ message of love and acceptance is pretty much where it’s at.”

From Kalen: Unfollow, by Megan Phelps-Roper. “Helped me to understand…how a person can grow and change their mind about the beliefs they grew up with.”

Books currently on the nightstand:

• Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 80’s, by Jonathan Bernstein and Lori Majewski (Rebecca)
• The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, by Deesha Philyaw (Kalen)
• The Fighters: Americans in Combat, by C.J. Chivers (Eric)

As “evangelists for books and reading” it’s clear our board members care deeply about making books free available. Heading into the second year of their two-year terms, the board is charged with completing BookGive’s official policies, developing an advisory council, recruiting new board members and fundraising.

Thank you to the the BookGive board of directors for their steadfast contributions during this first year. If 2020 is our Year One, here’s to an amazing Year Two!

Contributions to this blog post generously provided by BookGive volunteer writer, Phyllis Lundy. Click here to join our volunteer writing team.