Philanthropy News

Weld Trust's Lisa Taylor Honored as Human Rights Advocate

Published:

Monday, October 24, 2022

Lisa was named recognized as one of the 2022 Woman's Place Outstanding Women of Weld County

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Honors CCI's Margaret Hunt

Published:

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Colorado Creative Industries Director Margaret Hunt Receives NASAA 2022 Luminary Award for Transformative Executive Leadership

DOLA Celebrates 25 years of Local Govt Gaming Revenue Grants

Published:

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

In 2021 alone, DOLA provided $500,000 for EMS and Fire services for five communities, helping address gaming impacts for Colorado communities.

Latino Community Fdn of CO Launches $20M Endowment Campaign

Published:

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

One Community. One Legacy. A giving campaign to invest in Colorado's Latino community.

CO Health Fdn Supports YouthScan Youth Voice Project

Published:

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

YouthRoots' project collects data from youth community needs assessment.

Count Down to Colorado Philanthropy Day November 10

Published:

Monday, October 10, 2022

Check out the honorees and details of Colorado's Philanthropy Day Luncheon

DaVita Giving Foundation Grants $1.5M to Food is Medicine Coalition

Published:

Monday, October 10, 2022

The new DaVita Giving Foundation has announced their first major grant: $1.5M to a coalition addressing the dual crisis of illness & hunger.

Weld Trust Innovates with Ideas Inquiry in Seven Funding Areas

Published:

Monday, October 10, 2022

Nonprofits interested in funding from The Weld Trust start by submitting an Idea Inquiry before being invited to submit a full application.

Yampa Valley Community Fdn Awards over $500,000 to 74 Nonprofits

Published:

Friday, September 30, 2022

The Yampa Valley Community Foundation has awarded $531,913 to 74 nonprofit organizations in its 2022 Community Grant Cycle. Read details and see a breakdown of funding by sector.

GOCO's Generation Wild Sets 4.37 Mile World Hopscotch Record

Published:

Monday, September 19, 2022

Congratuations Great Outdoors Colorado and Generation Wild. 4.37 miles is a lot of hopping.

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Early Childhood Funders Network spurs collaboration on critical topic for Colorado

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

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Giving Voice Blog

Topic(s)

Capacity-building

Grantmaking

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Public Policy

Funding Area

Health & Behavioral Health

Education

Early Childhood

A key benefit of Philanthropy Colorado membership is the opportunity to participate in peer learning networks that provide spaces for shared learning and collaboration.

One of the most enduring peer groups is the The Early Childhood Funders Network, which meets quarterly to discuss and coordinate funding efforts in support of early childhood efforts in Colorado. The group centers its work around the Early Childhood Colorado Framework, created by the Early Childhood Leadership Commission. The framework provides a shared vision guiding efforts to improve and expand early childhood services and ensures “all children are valued, healthy and thriving." The framework aims to promote strong partnerships, investment, policy, public engagement, shared accountability, effective leadership and relevant educational opportunities for young children.

If you're a Philanthropy Colorado member interested in early childhood efforts, you can log into the website to register for Early Childhood Funders Network meetings in 2023 or contact info@philanthropycolorado.org to be added to the Philanthropy Colorado early childhood listserv. Not a Philanthropy Colorado member? Learn more and join today to be part of our vibrant statewide philanthropic network.

Early Childhood Colorado Framework

Standing against hate with Colorado Springs and LGBTQ+ community

Sunday, November 20, 2022

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Giving Voice Blog

Updated Dec. 8, 2022 (we will provide more updates as we learn more)

It's with very heavy hearts that Philanthropy Colorado acknowledges and speaks out against another horrific act of violence in our state and against our LGBTQ+ community and neighbors in Colorado Springs.

Several dozen representatives from Philanthropy Colorado's network took part in a virtual convening on Monday, November 21 to talk about reactions and responses in the aftermath of the weekend shooting at Club Q.

Since this time, Philanthropy Colorado staff have been in regular communication with our members at the local and statewide level to help connect, communicate and coordinate efforts for the response efforts, as well as longer-term, community-focused support. The Gill Foundation and Chinook Fund have been providing leadership, staff expertise and their national LGBTQ+, funder networks to leverage support, resources and technical assistance for the response to the Club Q tragedy.

We’d like to share a few timely updates and opportunities to collaborate provided to us by the Gill Foundation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information and/or to be connected to these opportunities to collaborate by contacting info@philanthropycolorado.org.

We understand that the immediate response remains under-resourced and that coordination is critical to make sure no one slips through the cracks. There will never be enough dollars to meet every need that emerges from this horrific tragedy. Here are the donation links to the main funds and we can also connect you directly to the executive director of either fund if you would like to make a gift by another method.
• Colorado Healing Fund for Club Q victims
• National Compassion Fund for Club Q victims

On Tuesday December 6, the Colorado Healing Fund announced that the majority of their administrative costs have been covered, and they are working to get their overhead fully underwritten so that they can waive their admin fee and ensure 100% of donations to the Club Q fund go directly to victim assistance. The Colorado Healing Fund is also in the midst of convening an advisory committee of LGBTQ and philanthropic leaders to inform distribution decisions that fully account for the unique needs and experiences of LGBTQ victims.

One of the most pressing issues the Gill Foundation and others have been working to address in the broader response effort is the need for victim advocacy/assistance outside of the typical law enforcement channels. It has become evident that some victims may not be coming forward out of fear of interacting with law enforcement and because aspects of the assistance process can be re-traumatizing for LGBTQ victims (e.g., limited options for self-identification, like binary pronouns and requirements for legal/dead name vs. chosen name, etc).

To ensure no one is left behind, the Gill Foundation is collaborating with Community Health Partnership in Colorado Springs to stand up a “navigator” position that will be filled by a trusted member of the LGBTQ community in the Springs who is also part of the direct services field. Additional funds are needed to extend the timeline for this role and/or bring additional capacity to this critical function.

On Sunday December 4, the Good Judy Garage GoFundMe campaign announced a partnership with the National Compassion Fund to develop distribution protocols and manage disbursement of funds to Club Q victims. LGBTQ organizations in Florida have described National Compassion Fund’s involvement as a godsend in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting, given the breadth of their experience in supporting victims of mass shootings and bringing together everyone involved in response efforts.

Questions have come up about the differences between the Colorado Healing Fund and the National Compassion Fund. Based on our understanding, there are three key differences:
•   The Colorado Healing Fund releases funds to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA), which distributes those funds based on the needs that victims identify through their victim advocates (and soon the new navigator role), whereas the National Compassion Fund distributes funds directly to victims based on distribution protocols that tier the severity of the shooting’s impact on victims.
•   It takes some time for the National Compassion Fund to begin distributing funds to victims – typically about six months after a tragedy in order to convene a steering committee, develop a distribution protocol, and collect input from the victims and community – whereas the Colorado Healing Fund has a seed fund that enables them to make cash disbursements right away and cover critical expenses like travel for victims’ families, rent, lost wages, and medical and funeral expenses that exceed the limits of what the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Victim Compensation Program covers.
•   The philosophy of the National Compassion Fund is to disburse all funds directly to victims as soon as possible to give victims complete control over how and when they use those funds to support their recovery, whereas the philosophy of the Colorado Healing Fund is to disburse funds over a longer timeline through various channels to account for the enduring and unexpected impact of trauma, e.g., direct cash assistance and expense reimbursement in the short term, to the expansion of community support services in the long-term (like a resiliency center).

Organizations already working locally in Colorado Springs on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community include: Inside Out Youth Services, Commuity Heath Partnership LGBTQIA2+Health, UCCS MOSAIC LGBTQ+ Resource Center and Pikes Peak Pride. The mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs has mobilized community leaders and organizations to act and respond to needs beyond their capacities. Colorado Health Partnership (CHP) convened local and state-wide stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and develop an action plan to address immediate concerns and support victims, their families, and the LGBTQIA2+ community. Please contact CHP to learn more about these efforts and how you can contribute.

We will continue to provide updates on some funder efforts under way to provide additional longer-term, community-focused support.

Colorado Philanthropy Responds to the Club Q Tragedy

Pikes Peak Community Foundation: Club Q $10,000 commitment & Warning re Bogus Fundraisers

Gill Foundation: $100,000 commitment to Club Q victims

El Pomar Foundation: Response to Tragedy in Colorado Springs

The Colorado Health Foundation: LGBTQ Coloradans Deserve Safe Spaces for Community, Belonging and Joy

Chinook Fund: Club Q Statement statement

Rose Community Foundation: A Message from our President & Supporting Club Q victims and Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community

The Denver Foundation: Statement & Ways to support the victims of the Club Q shooting

Community Foundation Boulder County: Club Q Tragedy

Please contact info@philanthropycolorado.org if you have a response or statement you would like included.

See also

OnePulse Foundation: Statement on Club Q Mass Shooting

Member Spotlight: Cheryl Zimlich & Bohemian Foundation

Friday, November 18, 2022

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“Philanthropy Colorado supports our team with shared resources. The conversations with other members are incredibly valueable, connecting us and helping us do our work better.”
-Cheryl Zimlich, Board Member and Executive Director, Bohemian Foundation

Cheryl Zimlich is a board member and the executive director of Bohemian Foundation, a family foundation that works to strengthen local, national, and global communities through grantmaking and special initiatives. She oversees the foundation’s operations and ensures that its philanthropic programs are implemented effectively.

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Cheryl contributed to the formation of Bohemian Foundation in 2001, and she has been instrumental in its growth. The foundation began with a single responsive grantmaking program. It now has four program areas, three responsive grantmaking programs and multiple other projects and initiatives.

Cheryl leads a team of more than 100 staff members who work to advance the foundation’s Community, Music, Civic, and Global Programs. Bohemian Foundation’s commitment to equity has resulted in a number of new initiatives. Recent examples include the launch of Bohemian Fund, a new grantmaking program centered on equity. One special initiative grant announced this fall honors the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This year, the foundation also partnered in a successful effort of mobile home residents to form a nonprofit and purchase their park.

For the past 20 years, in addition to her work for Bohemian Foundation, Cheryl has served more than a dozen organizations through volunteer board and leadership positions. Through this work in the education and nonprofit sectors, she has focused on building community support and making organizations fiscally stronger.

Bio: Cheryl Zimlich

Cheryl Zimlich serves as executive director and board member for Bohemian Foundation. In addition to serving Bohemian Foundation, Cheryl has held board and leadership positions with more than a dozen organizations. Locally, she serves on UniverCity Connections, the Downtown Development Authority and Give Next’s Advisory Committee. At the state level, she works to advance music education in schools by serving as an advisory board member of former Governor Hickenlooper’s Take Note Colorado initiative. Cheryl served alongside other community leaders as part of the Colorado COVID Relief Fund committee. Nationally, she is on the boards of Music Will and Book Trust. Cheryl is a CPA whose early career was as an audit professional. She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from CSU. Cheryl received the CSU College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. She has also been honored by Poudre School District Foundation with the Outstanding Community Education Advocate Award in 2015 and by BizWest Northern Colorado Women of Distinction as an honoree for Nonprofit Human Services in 2019.

Philanthropy Colorado is very appreciative of the generous grant support provided by Bohemian Foundation, helping us to fulfill our Strategic Roadmap & Equity Framework

Colorado Philanthropy Addresses Climate Action

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

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Giving Voice Blog

Topic(s)

Grantmaking

Public Policy

Funding Area

Environment & Climate

Why should Colorado philanthropy play an active role in addressing climate action?

Erika with The Buck Foundation shared that it historically funds social justice movements and has added Climate Action to its priority funding areas. "The foundation believes that climate change is the most critical life-threatening issue that intersects with all other social justice issues," according to Erika. The Buck Foundation's Climate Action grant focus area supports initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollution and support the transition to an equitable, sustainable economy.

Gates Family Foundation shares their perspective, that climate change, population growth and urbanization threaten “Colorado’s iconic mountain ranges, farms and ranchlands, public lands, rivers and open spaces that are an undeniable part of our shared identity as Coloradans.”

The Climate Action Network was formed in response to member interest in this issue and in opportunities for sharing and potential collaboration. The group meets quarterly to learn and share how they are addressing climate change through philanthropic grants, investments, advocacy and policy change. The Climate Action Network is led by Erika Church with The Buck Foundation, Dace West with The Denver Foundation and Mary Seawell from Gates Family Foundation.

The November quarterly meeting of the Climate Action Network demonstrates the value of this membership opportunity, with the group hearing from representatives from the Colorado Resiliency Office, Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, K-12 Energy & Environment program of the Aspen Institute and southwest Colorado’s Climatarium education and career initiative of Lyra Colorado and the Gates Family Foundation. Meetings always include time for Q&A and for members to share updates regarding their work.
Please contact info@philanthropycolorado.org to be added to this peer network listserv and receive information ahead of the quarterly meetings.

Colorado Philanthropy & Election Engagement

Monday, October 3, 2022

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Giving Voice Blog

In early October, Philanthropy Colorado hosted an advocacy learning program
How Colorado Philanthropy is Engaging in State & Local Elections. Watch the Video.

A key goal of our advocacy and policy leadership and support is to highlight a broad range of policy opportunities for grantmakers and to encourage our members to leverage advocacy and policy opportunities. Policy engagement, particularly when related to elections, is often equated with lobbying, an effort to influence policymakers on specific legislation. However, lobbying is only one of many election engagement strategies for funders, which include:

supporting on-going, accurate media coverage of elections, ballot issues and elected officials

Colorado Media Project pools funds from several Colorado funders to support the local news ecosystem. Their “why” includes “We commission research, share learning, and leverage our collective influence to bring more knowledge, allies and resources and better public policies and professional practices into the movement to strengthen and reimagine local news and build a healthier, more solutions-focused public square.”
supporting nonpartisan voter registration and turnout

The Community Resource Center’s The Participation Project partnered with 45 human service organizations in 2020 to help them conduct nonpartisan voter registration and pledge-to-vote campaigns for their clients.
Rose Community Foundation funded 15 diverse organizations working to expand voter participation in a nonpartisan manner and help ensure all community voices are well-represented on Election Day.
driving public education on elections and voting

Nonprofits like Just Vote Colorado provide helpful public guidance about how to register and vote, while some groups target key populations, such as AARP’s help for seniors with How to Vote in Colorado’s 2022 Elections.

promoting public education on issues and candidates without position-taking

As a private foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation publishes a Local Ballot Measure Tracker to drive public education on ballot issues without taking positions on the issues.

convening, training and coalition-building around elections and issues

Aspen Community Foundation hosts a Cradle to Career Giving Network that meets to learn from experts and participate in peer conversations about policy and other options to improve the lives of children and families in the region.
policy research and data collection

With support from local foundations, research organizations like Common Sense Institute release valuable analysis of policy issues, such as a bi-partisan report on Crime that may inform future policy.
position-taking, ballot guides and lobbying

Some Colorado community foundations take positions and lobby for passage of legislation, such as The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s 2022 Legislative Priorities which include positions on three current ballot measures.
Rose Community Foundation has published a 2022 Ballot Guide.
Policy work is also advanced through grantmaking, as outlined in this overview from Caring for Colorado Foundation on their Public Policy Advocacy grant support.
rulemaking and regulatory engagement after passage

Colorado foundation staff help inform implementation of legislation, such as new regulations and guidance issued on Colorado’s recently passed Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program.

Don’t miss The State Debate between Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Republican challenger Heidi Ganahl on October 16, 2022, which is sponsored by El Pomar and will be live-streamed from their Penrose House in Colorado Springs.

Working on advocacy & policy efforts? Contact Jan Brennan about joining the Policy Funders peer group.