by William T. Beverly, Ph.D.
LA JUNTA– When one goes to the Spanish Peaks or La Veta Libraries, Huerfano County Youth Services, the Fox Theatre, the Family Resource Center, the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, Huerfano Re-1 schools, the Celtic Festival, or to other non-profit and government agencies in Huerfano County, one has to realize that it takes money to operate these entities. Where does it come from?
Non-profits and some local government agencies tend to operate on volunteerism by citizens, donations, and grants and gifts from foundations, trusts, and the federal government. Thanks to organizations such as the Colorado Nonprofit Association, the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center and the Colorado Association of Funders, understanding and successfully applying for grant funding in Colorado has become much easier.
Rural Philanthropy Days is an event held in La Junta where executives from southeastern Colorado non-profit organizations can meet with representatives of foundations and trusts to determine if there is a likely fit between the agency and the funding source. If there is an apparent fit, the agency can then apply for a grant and hopefully it will be awarded.
Grant-makers represented at this event included the following: the Adolph Coors Foundation, the Anschutz Family Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Health Foundation, the Colorado Trust, the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, the Temple Buell Foundation, El Pomar, the Daniels Fund, Gates Family Foundation, and the State Historical Fund.
Agency executives gathered there from Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and Prowers. Local representation at this event included a number of persons: Sandy Majors, Terri Patrick, County Commissioner Art Bobian, Deborah Nott, Debbie Shronce, Gaye Davis, George Birrer, Margaret Bobian, Commissioner Scott King Amber Godfrey, Roger Weiss, Peggy Arnold-Hoobler, Reba Lee Savageau, Monica Birrer, Debbie Channel, Michelle Parks, Stephen Savageau, Dorothy Mihanovich and yours truly.
For more information about this event, go to www.southeastrpd.org.
