The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado recently announced $50,000 in grants to youth-serving nonprofits across southwest Colorado.
As part of celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Community Foundation is raising $100,000 to provide unsolicited grants each quarter to nonprofits serving the five counties, 10 towns and two sovereign nations of southwest Colorado. A one-to-one matching donation allowed the Community Foundation to amplify its impact this quarter.
Quarter one grants went to nonprofits addressing basic human needs, while second quarter granting focused on nonprofits the serve middle and high school youth by providing enrichment opportunities and mental health support.
The nonprofits receiving SPUR grants for the second quarter are as follows:
• Pagosa Springs: San Juan Mountain Association/Audubon Rockies.
The San Juan Mountain Association and Audubon Rockies are partnering to develop a fly-fishing/river restoration after-school program for middle school students in Pagosa Springs.
• Cortez/Mancos: School Community Youth Collaborative.
The School Community Youth Collaborative promotes positive behaviors that reduce substance abuse and violence among youth in Montezuma County.
• Ute Mountain Ute: Youth Workforce Training.
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe proposes a culturally rooted workforce development program for middle and high school youth.
• Dolores/Mancos: Dolores Rotary Club.
The Dolores Rotary Club takes students from Dolores and Mancos to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards conference in Colorado Springs every June, helping students develop interest in essential leadership skills.
• Durango: Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center.
The Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center was founded to create a supportive community for 2SLQBTQ+ youth in Durango.
• Ignacio/Southern Ute: Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe serves youth of the Southern Ute Reservation and Ignacio by providing opportunities to connect and grow.
• Bayfield: Stillwater Music.
Stillwater Music is committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of financial barriers, has access to quality music education.
• Dove Creek: Students Tackling Unhealthy Decisions.
Students Tackling Unhealthy Decisions works to prevent substance use and abuse among youth in Dove Creek by giving them the skills to be able to make healthy decisions.
• Rico: Karma Tutors Impact Fund
The Karma Tutors Impact Fund’s objective is to champion educational equity by providing free individualized tutoring services to underserved youth in Dolores County.
• Silverton: Silverton Youth Center.
The Silverton Youth Center is the only program that exists in Silverton to provide safe, structured activities for middle and high school students.
• Southwest Colorado: Fort Lewis College athletics.
Funding will provide all area youth access to any home FLC athletics event free of charge (excluding postseason), providing firsthand collegiate experience while demonstrating pathways to higher education for area youth to aspire to.
“We wanted to celebrate or 25th anniversary in a meaningful way,” said Briggen Wrinkle, executive director of the Community Foundation. “Our generous donors have given us an opportunity to provide impactful grants to nonprofits serving our communities’ across different sectors.”
If you would like to support the Community Foundation’s SPUR Fund with a donation or learn more about how you can partner with us create a canopy of support for local nonprofits, visit www.swcommunityfoundation.org.
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