Celebrating the People Who Get It All Done! |
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On May 19th, the Telluride Foundation hosted its annual Community Grant Recipient Celebration Lunch at the Telluride Science Innovation Center, bringing together community partners for an afternoon of good food and great company. It was a wonderful gathering, one of the Foundation's favorite moments of the year, filled with energy, gratitude, and a shared sense of purpose. Guests had the opportunity to connect and share about the meaningful, on-the-ground work they are doing across the region. Together, we make more possible.
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Health & Human Services: Tri-County Health Network Transforms Local's Life |
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Several years ago, Daniel Davenport faced an overwhelming series of hardships. After losing both his employment and the housing tied to it, he found himself broke, homeless, and without support. His physical and mental health declining, a social worker from the Telluride Regional Medical Center suggested he call Tri-County Health Network (TCHN). With TCHN's support, he secured housing through the Telluride Housing Authority and received assistance from the Good Neighbor Fund (GNF), which helped cover rent while he worked to rebuild his life. Tri-County also helped him access affordable healthcare, addiction counseling, substance abuse services, and enroll in SNAP benefits.
A few years later, he experienced congestive heart failure caused by sleep apnea and was unable to work for several months. Once again, Tri-County was there to help him find medical specialists and a sleep center, access GNF assistance, and apply for SNAP so he could focus entirely on recovery.
Today, he has been a paraprofessional at Telluride Middle/High School for four years and coaches four different sports. He now lives a healthy, purpose-filled life and feels privileged to help shape students in positive ways while giving back to the community that supported him. Since his heart failure diagnosis, he has lost nearly 100 pounds and celebrated more than three years of sobriety.
TCHN didn’t just help Daniel survive but also gave him a new lease on life. His gratitude is immeasurable, and he shares his story so that others know there is hope and won’t ever struggle alone. |
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Economic Empowerment: TVN Welcomes Back Investment Bootcamp and Pitch Day
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The Telluride Venture Network (TVN) invites you to attend Pitch Day on Wednesday, July 1, at 4:00 PM at the Sheridan Opera House. This event marks the culmination of TVN’s intensive 10-day Climate Solutions Investment Bootcamp.
During Pitch Day, founders will take the stage to present their companies to investors and community members before gathering for a happy hour at the SHOW Bar. The event offers a unique opportunity to connect with some of the region’s most promising entrepreneurs and learn about the innovative solutions they are developing to address climate challenges.
TVN is thrilled to announce our cohort of eight businesses: Green Steel Environmental, Boulder, CO; Carbon Utility, Holbrook, AZ; New Day Hydrogen, Englewood, CO; Onalytics, Salida, CO; Sustainable Chemicals, Denver, CO; EVchargeME, Evergreen, CO; Nostera, Eagle, CO; and Ecovaleric, Denver, CO.
TVN’s Climate Solutions Investment Bootcamp was created to help emerging climate and cleantech startups prepare to raise capital, strengthen their investor readiness, and accelerate growth. The latest bootcamp was developed by Program Director Annemarie Jodlowski and TVN's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Julie Penner, as part of the Telluride Foundation's broader commitment to advancing climate and conservation initiatives across the region.
Building a company takes vision, courage, and grit. Please come out to support these remarkable entrepreneurs as they showcase the innovative businesses shaping a more sustainable future.
Pitch Day is free to the public, but please RSVP. Additionally, an accredited-investor dinner sponsored by J.P. Morgan Private Bank will take place afterward. If you are interested in attending, please contact Annemarie Jodlowski. |
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Education: Larry Hopkins Scholarship Becomes Newest Award in Foundation's Scholarship Program |
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The Foundation is proud to honor the memory of Larry Hopkins — longtime Telluride resident, outdoor enthusiast, entrepreneur, and community volunteer — through a meaningful new scholarship bearing his name.
Larry opened the Powder House Restaurant in 1973, selling it ten years later to pursue his passions of ski instructing and river guiding. He spent the rest of his life in service to others and to the places he loved. Larry generously directed a portion of his estate to fund four-year college scholarships for students from Nucla and Norwood with demonstrated financial need.
This spring, the Foundation awarded the inaugural Larry Hopkins Scholarship to Kyra Redd, a senior at Nucla High School. Kyra plans to attend Colorado Mesa University to earn a degree in health science, followed by a certificate in medical sonography. She embodies the values Larry lived by — service to others, perseverance, integrity, and deep community roots — and will receive $30,000 over four years to pursue her goals.
This year also marked another strong season for the Chang Chavkin First-Generation Scholars program. Seven new scholars were selected in their junior year, and eight are headed to college this fall, bringing the total to 57 scholars supported since the program's inception in 2017. These students, drawn from nine regional school districts, are eligible for up to $60,000 over four years.
Additional scholarships included two $20,000 Neil Armstrong Scholarships to Telluride High School students, two $5,000 Neil Armstrong Merit Scholarships to students from Ridgway and Ouray, and five $2,000 Telluride Foundation Scholarships across our five school districts. |
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Health & Human Services: A Decade of Collaboration for Regional Food Security
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Our region has deep roots in ranching and farming, yet reliable access to fresh, healthy food remains out of reach for many of our neighbors. For ten years, the Telluride Foundation's Food Security Initiative has been connecting and strengthening the network of programs that keep our communities fed, because no single organization can do it alone.
Our investment is paying off. Today, we support four food pantries in Ridgway, Telluride, Nucla, and Norwood; three senior meal programs; two weekend backpack programs that send children home with food for the three days between school lunches; and library snack/lunch programs. Behind every one of these efforts are dedicated partners: Angel Baskets, Tri-County Health Network, the Fresh Foundation, West End Family Link, Food Bank of the Rockies, the Ouray County Food Pantry, the Nucla-Naturita Senior Citizens, and our libraries, whose collaboration has never been stronger.
That collaboration matters more than ever right now. Changes to SNAP policy, rising food and living costs, and reduced state and federal funding are putting pressure on programs across the region, making the work of coordinating and supporting our local network of food security programs increasingly important.
This May, the Foundation hosted a regional Food Security Summit, bringing together local food security organizations to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. It was an encouraging reminder of how much good work is happening across the region to ensure everyone has enough to eat and access to healthy foods, and how much more is possible when we all work together. |
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Ah Haa School for the Arts: Making Art Accessible to All |
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Ah Haa School for the Arts supports initiatives providing access and opportunity to create community and joy through art. Ah Haa is committed to never turning anyone away regardless of ability to pay. Pay-as-you-can programs, tuition assistance, community partnerships, and Teen Fellowship are all programs supported by the Telluride Foundation that expand community participation in art experiences.
Now in its second year, the Teen Fellowship is a 16-week, art-intensive program empowering high school students across the San Miguel Watershed through immersive practice, skill-building, and mentorship. Fellows pursue independent projects in any medium, receiving portfolio development, workshops, artist talks, peer critiques, and hands-on exposure to nonprofit arts operations — all while earning stipends and project support. The program culminates in a group exhibition. This spring, the 2026 cohort of 10 students opened their gallery show on May 1st to an audience of over 75 community members. By offering the freedom for creative exploration while being part of a dynamic, supportive group, Ah Haa sees teens not only showing up but also enthusiastically returning.
Ah Haa also spearheaded two pay-as-you-can initiatives — “May As You Can” and “Fall For Art” — designed to remove financial barriers and invite broader community participation. Participants simply chose the tuition rate they could afford. The response was remarkable: an 82% attendance rate, with 37% of students attending Ah Haa for the first time. Some participants even paid it forward to subsidize others.
Through these initiatives to remove financial barriers, Ah Haa ensures that EVERYONE has space to create, learn, and grow. |
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San Miguel Watershed Coalition: Protecting What Flows Through Us |
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Established in 1998, the San Miguel Watershed Coalition works to maintain and improve the ecological health of all 80 miles of the free-flowing San Miguel River. It conducts and facilitates river projects, provides community education opportunities, and conducts water quality testing. The Coalition engages stakeholders throughout the 1,550-square-mile watershed—from the western San Juan Mountains to the slick rock canyons of the West End—in collaborative efforts that promote our river’s health and the economic vitality of our watershed’s communities.
Annually, the Foundation provides financial support to the San Miguel Watershed Coalition through its community grants program. Generally, these funds support water quality monitoring and advance projects identified in the San Miguel Stream Management Plan. The Foundation has also contributed crucial match dollars to secure large state grants for watershed projects. The Coalition recently secured $500,000 to develop a Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP). The WRAP will analyze watershed risks related to post-fire flooding, debris flows, landslides, water quality/quantity, and other environmental impacts. Ultimately, the WRAP will develop location-specific action items to proactively minimize post-fire watershed risks. The WRAP grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board was made possible by financial support from local partners across the watershed, including $20,000 from the Telluride Foundation.
The timing couldn't be better, as San Miguel and Montrose Counties recently completed Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). WRAPs complement CWPPs by identifying long-term, holistic, watershed-wildfire protections in addition to the CWPP's emergency management goals of protecting life, property, and infrastructure in the face of wildfire. |
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Creating with AI Workshop Friday, June 12, 2026 |
If you’ve been overwhelmed by the surge of AI tools and aren’t sure what’s actually useful, this workshop cuts through the noise. Throughout the session, participants will also learn the fundamentals of “context engineering” — how to provide AI tools with the right inputs and direction to generate consistent, high-quality, on-brand results. 1:00pm-3:00pm
Telluride Innovation Center |
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| TVN's Pitch Day Wednesday, July 1, 2026
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TVN's Climate Solutions Investment Bootcamp culminates in a high-energy Pitch Day. Come listen to some of the most cutting-edge startups from across the Four Corners region present and learn how they are solving the most pressing climate issues. The hour goes by quickly, so stick around at the Show Bar to mingle with the cohort afterward. If you are an accredited investor and are interested in attending our investor dinner, please contact Annemarie Jodlowski.
4:00pm Presentations | 5:00pm HH The Sheridan Opera House & SHOW Bar |
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16th Annual Rundola Saturday, July 4, 2026 |
Start the fourth of July off with a BANG. Get your exercise in before the parade by participating in the Rundola. Register today for Telluride's most famous foot race and bring the entire family. Telluride Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year, all proceeds benefit the Good Neighbor Fund. Racers receive T-shirts and breakfast at Oak, and, of course, there is plenty of swag for purchase. Winners will receive medals and more! 7:30am Oak Street Gondola Plaza |
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| Summer Donor Hikes Thursday, July 9, & Wednesday, July 29, 2026 |
Let's explore the high country together. Summer donor hikes are the perfect way to meet fellow donors and get to know the Foundation staff. This year, we have 6 hikes planned throughout July, August, and September. Our first hike will be Silver Lake on July 9th. Next, we tackle the Wasatch Loop on July 29th. Pack a lunch and your camera because this is prime viewing time for wildflowers and waterfalls.
Future Hikes Monday, August 10 - Keystone Gorge & Brewery August TBD - Mushroom Hike Wednesday, September 10 - Liberty Bell & Picnic at Secret Cabin
Tuesday, September 29 - Eider Creek/Mill Creek Loop 8:00am Meet at the Telluride Foundation office |
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Summer Donor Party Tuesday, July 14, 2026 |
Our annual summer donor party falls on Bastille Day this year, so we’re going full French. Join us for Provence-inspired bites, crisp French 75 cocktails, and a lively afternoon with fellow Telluride Foundation donors. C’est si bon! 4:00pm-6:00pm |
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| Randy Houser Benefit Concert for Good Neighbor Fund Friday, July 17, 2026 |
Calling all country music fans — get ready to dance the night away. The Alpine Club is hosting a special benefit concert featuring country music star Randy Houser in support of the Telluride Foundation’s Good Neighbor Fund. Marking Houser’s first-ever performance in Telluride, this one-night-only event will bring together community, philanthropy, and world-class entertainment, with hits including How Country Feels, Runnin’ Outta Moonlight, and Like a Cowboy. LVDY will open the show.
8:00pm The Sheridan Opera House |
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Dual Challenge: Climate & Energy Tuesday, July 28, 2026 |
The world needs both more energy AND a stable climate. Solutions exist — but historically, the climate and energy communities have advanced in parallel, with limited coordination to align priorities, investments, and strategies.
Three leading voices — a climate scientist, a clean energy innovator, and a veteran utility executive — sit down to examine what meeting humanity's energy needs while maintaining a healthy planet actually requires.
The panelists Dr. Guy Brasseur, Climate Scientist at NCAR and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology; Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs; and Jeff Guldner, Retired CEO of Arizona Public Service Company and Pinnacle West — will discuss the data, the tradeoffs, and the concrete actions needed before 2035 to reduce emissions, stabilize the climate, and expand affordable energy access.
5:30pm Donor Reception | 6:30pm Presentation The Sheridan Opera House |
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Summer Interns Please welcome Mateo Bubolo and Joe Galbo, our 2026 summer interns! Cousins and Telluride locals, both attend the University of Colorado and are already diving headfirst into a busy summer at the Foundation.
Mateo is supporting the Foundation’s economic empowerment initiative through research on climate and cleantech investors, while also helping to organize Telluride Venture Network’s Pitch Day. Joe is working with the Programs team and collaborating closely with our nonprofit partners.
Together, they’ll also be helping coordinate the many events we have on deck this summer, starting with the Rundola. Safe to say, they won’t be bored anytime soon. If you spot either of these fine gentlemen around town this summer, be sure to say hello! |
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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! |
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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 |
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