The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado announced Tuesday that in 2017 it infused a total of $1,790,624 into nonprofits and philanthropic initiatives in the Southwest Colorado community.
Briggen Wrinkle, the foundation’s executive director, summarized how the organization functions into three primary services it provides in the community:
It ensures that philanthropists’ contributions are correctly placed, intact and meaningful.It facilitates connections and promotes a productive conversation among representatives of area nonprofits, government entities, activists, community members, etc., to find solutions to community issues, such as housing, education, food security and health.It works with nonprofits to instill practices and offer grant opportunities that allow internal growth and the means to cultivate meaningful relationships with donors.“Facilitating generosity in our region is a key component of the mission of the Community Foundation,” Wrinkle said. “Maximizing effective grant-making is such a rewarding part of my work with the foundation because successful philanthropy truly makes our community better for everyone.”
iAM MUSIC Institute, a local nonprofit that cultivates creativity, community connections and empowerment through music, received funding from the foundation during 2017, which helped with operations costs, supported education programs and provided it with resources.
The nonprofit was given a grant to support music education-outreach programs in 2018, which will be offered at high schools, including Animas, Big Picture, The Liberty School and Robert E. DeNier Youth Service Center.
“Those guys have been a godsend for us,” said iAM MUSIC Executive Director Alissa Wolf. “We’re so grateful for what they do for us and other nonprofits in the community. We try to thank them anytime we can.”
Most recently, iAM MUSIC was selected to receive a grant that allows access to the Jump Start program, offered by the Washington, D.C.-based national organization Network for Good. The program is subsidized by the Community Foundation and the Rochester Secret Garden Concert Series to provide nonprofits with resources and funding, including fundraising coaching, support teams, funding for operation costs, etc. Along with nine other local nonprofits, iAM MUSIC was selected to be represented during the concert series this summer. The nonprofit’s featured concert is scheduled for late July.
Mountain Studies Institute, a nonprofit that empowers area communities, managers and scientists to innovate solutions through mountain research, education and practice, also received funding from the foundation in 2017.
Amanda M. Kuenzi, community science director at Mountain Studies, said that the funds were used, in part, to support its Experience Mountain Science Program. The program is a three-pronged approach that strives to: engage students in the San Juan Mountains region to explore science through classroom experiences; provide “career day” type interactions with science professionals in the field; and offer students a two-week summer intensive.
Kuenzi added that Mountain Studies will use additional funds from the Community Foundation to support education programs, which provide hands-on science experiences, internships and mentoring for regional students interested in learning about the San Juan Mountains, exploring science careers and becoming a voice for science in their mountain communities.
According to a press release, the Community Foundation provided services to these parts of the community in 2017:
Nonprofits received $1,096,417 in grants from fund holders that invest in the foundation.Fiscal sponsors and other community projects received $608,442 in grants from the organization’s Friends of the Foundation. Fiscal sponsors are organizations that are not certified nonprofits, but receive resources from the foundation to allow them to provide services in the community.Education organizations, initiatives and projects received $35,750 in scholarship funding.Another $50,015 in grants was funded by the foundation and invested in the community.The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado hosts more than 60 donor-advised funds, organizational funds, designated funds, scholarship funds and field-of-interest funds. It manages nearly $5 million in investments for philanthropists in the community and offers resources to ensure donors can make an impact with what they give to make a meaningful difference in Southwest Colorado. Its office is located in the Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave.
For more information, call 375-5807 or visit www.swcommunityfoundation.org.
fstone@durangoherald.com
