The Ballantine Family Fund, which made 98 grants in 2015 totalling $240,000, has revamped its website and application process.
The new updates make it easier for local non-profits to apply for grants, said Briggen Wrinkle, the grant manager and assistant secretary for the foundation.
The fund was founded in 1957 by Morley and Arthur Ballantine to provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations in Southwest Colorado. Agencies must be in La Plata, Dolores, Montezuma, Archuleta and San Juan counties. The organizations must be 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, or be under the fiscal agency of one. The Board of Directors reviews grant proposals at quarterly meetings held in February, May, August, and November. Deadlines for submission in 2016 are March 31, June 30, Sept. 30 and Dec. 31.
Fund officers look for organizations that benefit the human condition in the area, Wrinkle said. Grants range in size from $500 to $1,000. Past users will need to visit the updated website to create a new account.
Wrinkle addressed a number of volunteers and staff from non-profits at a presentation in Durango on Jan. 15. Grant managers also visited Cortez, Mancos, Pagosa Springs and Bayfield to make presentations.
"The Ballantine Family Fund trustees hope that the new application will be less time-consuming to complete and improve the information tracking process for the grants managers," the managers said in a release.
The fund also grants an unsolicited request every year it calls a "core value grant." Last year's recipient of $40,000 was La Plata Youth Services.
Applications and accounts can be submitted online at www.ballantinefamilyfund.com.
