The week of November 12-18 is Community Foundation Week, and the NoCo Foundation (Community Foundation of Northern Colorado) is joining in a nationwide celebration to recognize the increasingly important role community foundations play in strengthening local communities. To celebrate, the NoCo Foundation is excited to announce a major milestone that was accomplished in its most recent fiscal year.
The NoCo Foundation and its donors created widespread impact during its biggest grantmaking year ever with $12.2 million being granted from June 2023 to July 2024. This new milestone is a celebration of philanthropy and generosity for nonprofits and charitable organizations throughout our region.
Community Passions Drive Donor Funding
The $12.2 million was granted to 568 different nonprofits, programs, scholarships, and other organizations. Out of these 568 grantees, 27 received at least $100K over the year-long period, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Homeward Alliance, and Realities for Children, all of whom received well over $250,000 each. Overall, the grants supported dozens of types of organizations, with the top five focus areas being human services; educational institutions; religion and spiritual development; arts, culture, and humanities; and food, agriculture, and nutrition.
The NoCo Foundation works with all kinds of donors, including estate executors, to fulfill philanthropic goals. “As trustees of a dear friend’s estate, we established a charitable fund at the NoCo Foundation to support the causes she cared about most. We were able to make five large grants to organizations whose work mattered deeply to her and, in doing so, we have been able to honor her legacy in a meaningful way,” said the Fund Advisors of the Susan S. Martin Charitable Fund.
Impact Reach Far and Wide
Dementia Together, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure those with dementia never have to walk the journey alone, is just one example of an organization who received grants this most recent year creating ripples of impact in our community. “For almost ten years my husband and I have accessed education, support groups, a variety of activities, great ideas, and kindness from Dementia Together. These years could have overwhelmed us with conflict, fear, and tedium. Instead, with ongoing help from Dementia Together, they became years of loving partnership and contentment,” said a participant of Dementia Together.
Nonprofit organizations are not the only grantees to be impacted by grants from the NoCo Foundation. Many of our donors provide scholarships to students based on geographic area, area of study, and other factors. Through our donors, six Northeastern Junior College (NJC) students received scholarships last year totaling over $11,000 in support.
“Our students have told us time and time again — it’s not just about the money, it’s about the fact that someone, somewhere believes in them enough to support their education. To put that into perspective, a $1,000 scholarship is close to 20% of the tuition bill for most students at NJC. That’s a HUGE weight lifted off their shoulders,” said Mattie Haney, the Executive Director of Northeastern Junior College.
Community Foundations Connect the Dots and Connect People
The NoCo Foundation’s role continues to evolve as Northern Colorado grows. Bringing philanthropists together to solve community issues through grantmaking is one way the Foundation does this. In addition to grantmaking and donor stewardship, the NoCo Foundation is a neutral convener for regional governments and community organizations. We also provide vital support to the nonprofit sector, ensuring it has the capacity and ability to deliver high quality services and programs across the region.
Community foundations are uniquely situated to improve their regions through supporting innovative solutions and creating powerful partnerships. From November 12-18, 2024, we celebrate Community Foundation Week, a time when we can share and reflect on the stories of impact over the last year.
“I am so incredibly proud to be a part of a selfless community that sees the challenges Northern Colorado is facing and does whatever they can to help. It is inspiring to be surrounded by such generosity. As the Northern Colorado communities continue to grow, so will the impact of the NoCo Foundation,” said Kristin Todd, CEO and President of the NoCo Foundation.
