In 2024, the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado facilitated the granting of more than $5 million to nonprofits in the region through foundation projects, program grants and donor-advised funds.
The Foundation oversees more than $13 million in investments. It is home to almost 80 funds, including donor-advised, agency, designated, scholarship, fiscal sponsorship and field-of-interest funds.
It supports nonprofits across the Montezuma, Dolores, San Juan, La Plata and Archuleta counties through grant giving, as well as by facilitating various professional development opportunities.
“Our mission is connecting local philanthropists to local causes and keeping those dollars local,” said Rachel Rosenthal, grants and marketing manager for the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado.
Last year, the Community Foundation made 547 grant transactions, distributing $5.2 million to nonprofits across Southwest Colorado.
Of that, $3.9 million was facilitated through Community Foundation projects and programmatic granting while $1.3 million was granted from the Community Foundation’s donor-advised funds.
The top three sectors in which the foundation facilitated granting were human services, youth and education.
Many factors go into determining the amounts given, but it is done with the intention of ensuring resources are spread across all sectors and communities throughout the region, Rosenthal said.
Funding largely depends on the wishes of the foundation’s donors, as well as the overall nonprofits within a certain sector, she said.
“You see a lot of education and youth and human services because those needs are very apparent,” Rosenthal said.
By sector, the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado awarded:
- Animal Protection – 5% ($236,939)
- Arts and Culture – 13% ($664,423)
- County/Impact – 10% ($525,774)
- Education – 16% ($855,772)
- Environment – 3% ($168,613)
- Human Services – 42% ($2,206,403)
- Youth – 10% ($545,564)
The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado was founded in 1997 to address the funding strain felt by nonprofits throughout the region. Government funding had been reduced or eliminated for many of the programs the community relied on, and local donors grew tired of constant fundraising requests.
The Community Foundation was formed to alleviate that weariness. It was found that donors of large gifts are more likely to give to a foundation designed to manage community funds in accordance to the donors’ wishes than to a nonprofit vulnerable to frequent changes in board members and management.
“We're a matchmaker for philanthropists in our community who want to give back to the nonprofits,” Rosenthal said. “We keep our finger on the pulse of the nonprofit community and understand where some of the needs are.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation. Rosenthal said it will celebrate by giving $25,000 to a specific sector for each business quarter.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
