TELLURIDE, Colo. (Dec. 29, 2017) – The Telluride Foundation has announced its annual Community Grant awards, giving a record amount of grants to regional nonprofits and organizations. This year, $1,100,900 will be distributed to organizations improving the quality of life in Nucla/Naturita, Norwood, Telluride, Rico, Ridgway and Ouray, As a result of its generous donors, the Foundation is able to support many of the needs in our community, including regional food banks, early childhood education, youth programs and sports, and various capital projects, including medical equipment upgrades and the remodel of the historic Wright Opera House in Ouray.
On December 29th, the Foundation’s Board of Directors met to finalize its Community Grant awards, one of the Foundation’s core programs that funds organizations that benefit the region and provide essential services. In its sixteenth year of giving Community Grants, the Foundation awarded $1,100,900 to 74 nonprofit and governmental organizations serving the region, bringing the total grants given in 2017 by the Foundation to just over $4 million. The Foundation has provided over $41 million in grants to the region since its inception in 2000, without an endowment.
“This was the largest request the Grants Committee has ever faced, and as a result, this grant cycle was extremely competitive,” said Anne Andrew, Telluride Foundation Board Member and Chair of the Grants Committee. “We saw a large jump in health and human service requests reflective of the fact that despite a stronger economy, we are seeing more needs and struggling families in our communities.”
In its 2017 annual Community Granting cycle, the Foundation received 85 applications seeking almost $1.6 million. Grant awards ranged from $1,900 to $67,000, with 34 percent going to health human services; 28 percent funding arts and culture; 12 percent to education; 14 percent to early childhood development; 7 percent to athletic groups; and 5 percent to the environment/animals. The Telluride Foundation supports regional organizations that serve San Miguel, Ouray, west Montrose and portions of Dolores counties.
“For the second year, the Foundation has been accepting applications for capital projects within the Community Grant program, and we had five requests this year, said April Montgomery, VP Programs at the Telluride Foundation. “The Grants Committee was pleased to award $50,000 to the remodel of the Wright Opera House in Ouray, given that the Opera House has already raised over $1 million of the $1.5 million project. Other capital projects funded included radiology equipment at the Basin Clinic ($15,000) and a cardiac monitor at the Uncompahgre Medical Center ($20,00).
“The Foundation implemented a new, more advanced online grant system this year,” said April Montgomery, VP Programs at the Telluride Foundation. “While switching to a new software program always has its challenges, I think grant applicants will be pleased with its ease of use and streamlined application and approval process. It also provide the staff and Board better data management, data analysis and decision making capabilities.”
The Telluride Foundation’s Community Grant award recommendations are drafted by the seven-member Grants Committee, all of whom sit on the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The committee evaluates the grant requests against a rigorous set of criteria and forwards their slate of recommendations to the full Board for review and final approval. The Grants Committee is comprised of Anne Andrew, Chair, Karen Conway, DeeDee Decker, Kevin Holbrook, Adam Max, Megan McManemin, and Ximena Rebolledo. Their recommendations were reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on December 29th. The Foundation’s next round of local grant applications will be due in in the fall 2018, and announced at the end of December 2018.
The Foundation’s generous donors not only enable its annual Community Grant awards, but have allowed the Foundation to expand its funding and the reach of its Impact Initiatives, including its Telluride Venture Accelerator, Broadband Expansion initiative, Local Food Initiative, family emergency Good Neighbor Fund, and Paradox Community Development Initiative.
The Telluride Foundation is committed to enriching the quality of life of the residents, workforce, and visitors of the Telluride region. It is a nonprofit, apolitical community foundation that makes grants and runs programs in arts, education, health and human services, community development, and social enterprises. The Foundation strives to achieve excellence for the community through its mission and core values of inclusion, self-reliance, and innovation. Our work is funded through the generous support of hundreds of donors as well as grants from state and national foundations. Pease visit www.telluridefoundation.org.
For a list of 2017 grants distributed, please contact april@telluride.dreaminblog.com
