A Life Well Lived 

Joyce Allred - July 3, 1938 — April 20, 2025

Joyce Allred, a Telluride local of 47 years and one of its finest, passed away peacefully on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. Joyce was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother to the Allred family as well as a loyal friend to many and a treasured gem of the Telluride community.

Joyce and her husband Ron moved to Telluride in 1978 and played a key role in shaping the modern-day Telluride Ski Area, helping to put Telluride on the map. Ron may have brought the real estate development background, but he would be the first to say that without Joyce’s interior design expertise and unwavering commitment to community building, Telluride would not have blossomed into the world-class ski resort we know and love today.

An entertainer extraordinaire, Joyce poured her heart into every gathering, every project, and every corner of the town she loved. One small but lasting legacy is the town’s first street sweeper — affectionately named “The Joyce” — a testament to her attention to the little things that make a community thrive.

Joyce’s family has established a memorial fund at the Telluride Foundation to celebrate her life and continue her legacy. If you choose to donate, kindly use the "Note" or "Comment" field to indicate one of the two causes closest to Joyce’s heart:

1. Workforce Housing

2. The Telluride Medical Center

A Celebration of Joyce’s Life is planned for July 3rd, 2pm–5pm, at the Peaks Hotel in the Crystal Room. Thank you for honoring Joyce’s life and the town she loved so deeply. 

Initiatives Update

Educational Advancement: Chang Chavkin Scholar Program Selects New Scholars

The Chang Chavkin Scholars Program (CCSP) has selected nine new scholars. The program supports rural, high-achieving, first-generation students with the funding and resources needed to graduate from a four-year college. Especially exciting this year, three of the new scholars hail from Cortez.

While the program focuses on individual scholars, it's widely known that there is a need to improve the pipeline to higher education in our rural region. Valene Baskfield, program director, works directly with counselors and principals in all nine regional school districts: Telluride, Dolores, Montezuma-Cortez, Nucla, Norwood, Ouray, Ridgway, Montrose, and Delta. She evaluates the need for targeted outreach for every school differently. After two years of receiving few applicants from Montezuma-Cortez, Valene sat down with the principal and counselor and devised a schedule to host multiple presentations, ensuring students were informed about the program as well as college access and affordability. The result was three new scholars from Montezuma-Cortez.

Iyana Hafner, a rising senior at Montezuma-Cortez, said she is excited to start the program because, “I want to push my limits, find the right school, and have an opportunity to use resources I just don’t have.” Alexis Martinez, also from Montezuma-Cortez, said, “I thought I was applying for this to pay for college. Now I understand this program is so much more.”  

The program takes a comprehensive approach to ensuring scholars become successful college graduates. It goes beyond financial support, aiming to meet the individual needs of each scholar throughout their college journey. Scholars maintain regular contact with Valene, seeking academic, social, or emotional support when needed. Valene believes the program's hallmarks are frequent communication and the research to find best-fit schools, giving scholars the greatest chance for success.

Program Founders Arnie Chavkin and Laura Chang are highly involved in every aspect of the program. Together, they attend a monthly meeting to discuss every scholar, often for several hours. Baskfield shared, "This program begins and ends with caring for every scholar. When they know we care, they have greater potential to go further.” 

Health & Well-Being: The SHED Is Open

Communities That Care (CTC), a Tri-County Health Network (TCHN) program, has opened The Shed.

For the past decade, youth in our community have advocated for a dedicated high school hangout space. A location in Town Park was initially identified but ultimately scrapped due to skyrocketing costs. Soon after, the Voodoo housing project started, and a historic shed on the property needed to be moved to make room. CTC teens sprang into action, envisioning a repurposed shed, relocated to an unused corner of the property.

Thanks to an intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Telluride, Town of Mountain Village, and San Miguel County, that dream has become a reality. Students have been actively involved, contributing to the facility's design, speaking at town council meetings, recording public service announcements, and persistently working to bring this vision to fruition.

On May 2nd, 2025, CTC and other youth-serving nonprofits—including True North Youth Program, One to One Mentoring, San Miguel Resource Center, and Young Life—celebrated the opening of the Shed. Standing tall and welcoming all, the Shed demonstrates what our youth can achieve when empowered and supported by the community. The teen space (across from the post office) is open Monday through Friday with various hours.

CTC is a science-based, community-driven prevention system aimed at reducing youth problem behaviors, such as substance misuse, violence, and poor mental health, while promoting positive youth development. The program focuses on enhancing protective factors and mitigating risk factors to foster environments where youth can thrive. TCHN, an initiative of the Telluride Foundation, leads CTC.

Economic Diversity: Local Businesses Receive Startup Funding from Telluride Venture Network

The Coffee Cowboy and Disco Swell have received the first two loans from the Telluride Venture Network Loan Fund (TVNLF).

Launched in 2024 with the financial support of a dedicated Telluride Foundation donor and TVN mentor, the TVNLF is a character-based loan program designed to help entrepreneurs access capital to start or expand a business. Traditional banks often won’t lend to companies that haven’t operated for at least 2 years, which makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to secure startup capital. TVNLF exists to bridge that gap. The pilot program provides uncollateralized loans of up to $25K at below market rate (3%-6%) for terms of up to 5 years, providing the funds necessary to allow a founder to get started.

Caitlin Sappington has been bootstrapping Disco Swell, a custom hat business, as a side hustle since 2020. She left her corporate job in December to devote her full attention to building the business. Her vision includes employing local talent to design, shape, and sew all hats onsite or nearby, with no outsourcing of production. She will use loan funds to purchase industrial-grade equipment to shorten the production process.

Coffee Cowboy, the beverage cart beloved by locals and visitors alike, is about to embark on a new trajectory. Don’t fret; the cart will continue operations at Gondola Plaza. However, owners Hailey Arnold and Scott Keating will debut a second location in the Voodoo commercial space across from the post office in September. At 3,000 square feet, the new venue offers ample space for a community-focused cafe and eatery.  Customers can enjoy affordable breakfast and lunch options in the laid-back dining area, or if time is short, grab food to go. Coffee Cowboy secured funds to help pay for the capital improvements at the new space.

Since TVNLF launched, we've seen overwhelming demand from regional businesses. With two loans already disbursed and two more in the pipeline, we expect our initial funds to be exhausted by July. If you want to learn more about this initiative or contribute, please contact program director Annemarie Jodlowski.

Housing: Meet the Patton Family – Lori, Brian, Sloan & Hunter

The first recipients of Down Payment Assistance through the Foundation’s NEW Shared Appreciation DPA Program.

After two years of research, planning, fundraising, and program development, the Telluride Foundation proudly announces that our new Shared Appreciation Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Program is officially up and running. The very first loan was recently awarded to the Patton family, who live in Ridgway and work in both Ridgway and Telluride.

The Pattons purchased a home built by the Home Trust of Ouray County. This was the Trust’s first development: a beautiful, affordable duplex in Ridgway.

Lori Patton shared, "We are incredibly grateful to the Telluride Foundation and everyone who made this program possible. This financial assistance not only reduced our closing costs but also lowered our monthly payment by eliminating the need for Private Mortgage Insurance. Without this support, homeownership would not have been possible for us. We will use these savings to invest in our children and give back to our community. Thank you for being part of our journey!”

This innovative new program provides DPA loans of up to 20% of a home’s purchase price (up to $100,000) to qualifying members of the regional workforce. It is available throughout the Foundation’s service area, including San Miguel and Ouray counties and the towns of Nucla, Naturita, and Rico (loan limits vary across the region).

The DPA initiative is being launched as a two-year pilot program. Thanks to the generosity of community members, local governments, and regional taxing districts, the Foundation has successfully raised the funds needed to support the program's first year. Fundraising is now underway to fully fund the second year.

Click to learn more about the qualifying guidelines or how the program works. If you’d like to support this critical effort to expand homeownership opportunities for local workers, please contact Elaine Demas.

Nonprofit Spotlight 

Weehawken & Sherbino: A Decade of Collaboration = A Stronger Creative Region

In 2013, the Telluride Foundation invested in something unique: the idea that two independent arts nonprofits could thrive through collaboration. With technical assistance from the Telluride Foundation and early seed funding, Weehawken Creative Arts and Ridgway Chautauqua (The Sherbino) launched a shared staffing model—one that has flourished for over a decade.

Though each organization maintains its own board, mission, and financial structure, they’ve worked in lock-step since that pivotal year. Weehawken provides arts education across the region—from Montrose to Norwood—functioning like an arts center without walls. The Sherbino, meanwhile, is a beloved venue for performance, culture, and community connection. Since 2014, the organizations have shared an Executive Director, Ashley King, and often cross-train and share other team members.

Together, they co-manage the 610 Arts Collective, a community gallery (which serves as a fundraising mechanism and an asset for local artists), and co-host hallmark events like the Ridgway 1K/Rally Through the Alley and San Juan Barrel Fest (Oct 5), as well as the Ridgway Fête de la Musique, a free town-wide music festival (June 29).

Most recently, their partnership led to a visionary joint purchase: a strategic property behind the Sherbino and 610 Arts, known as the Key to the Future Project, aimed at long-term campus development. Each organization is fundraising for half of the $430K project. Learn more about the Key to the Future Project.

Event Recap

Annual Luncheon Honors Grant Recipients

On Tuesday, May 20th, the Telluride Foundation hosted our annual grant recipient luncheon to celebrate the work done by nonprofits and community organizations in the region. Their fantastic work is, in part, made possible by the funding provided through the Telluride Foundation’s 2024 Community Grants cycle, and we are proud to partner in their efforts.

Held at the Telluride Science and Innovation Center, over 100 attendees enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on the back patio while sharing lunch provided by Latin Creations. Several organizations addressed the group, including One to One Mentoring, the Cimarron Athletic Field Project, Telluride Chamber Music, and the Nucla–Naturita Senior Citizens Center, speaking about their current work and how the Foundation’s grant funding contributed to it.

In the Foundation’s last grant cycle, $1.2M was awarded to 83 organizations from San Miguel, Ouray, West Montrose counties, and the Town of Rico. The 2024 cycle included three capital grants and awards to 12 new grantees. Grant awards span the following categories: health and human services, early childhood, education, athletics, environment and animals, and arts and culture.

Our community partners are the heart and soul of our communities! We are honored to celebrate their great work and are extremely grateful to our generous donors who make the Foundation’s Community Grants Program possible.

Join Us!

Gratitude and Appreciation

"The Telluride Foundation has had an extraordinary impact on our community, serving as a crucial partner in the growth and evolution of both Weehawken Creative Arts and the Sherbino, as well as the broader nonprofit sector in our region. Their support extends beyond funding; they’ve been instrumental in fostering the development of nonprofit leaders, equipping us with tools and insights to navigate national trends in philanthropy, budgeting, and organizational management." 

Ashley King, Executive Director, Weehawken Creative Arts & The Sherbino, Ridgway, CO

Help us grow the Telluride Foundation

If you know a community member who may be interested in

becoming a donor or a volunteer please make an introduction!

Contact Jason at jason@telluridefoundation.org.

With your help, we can make more possible!

About

The Telluride Foundation is committed to enriching the lives of our community members by investing in initiatives and supporting nonprofits in the region. 

telluridefoundation.org

Contact

Telluride Foundation

PO Box 4222

220 E Colorado Ave #106

Telluride, CO 81435

info@telluridefoundation.org

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