The Northern Colorado Disaster Recovery Fund was established to meet the immediate and long-term relief and recovery needs for the people and places affected following an environmental or man-made disaster in our service areas.
For more than twenty years, the NoCo Foundation has stepped in when Northern Colorado and communities beyond our state's borders needed philanthropic support during crises. When disasters strike, we mobilize community generosity so resources can move quickly and with intention. In recent years, we have distributed more than $2.5 million in response to COVID‑19, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, and most recently, the Alexander Mountain Fire.
When the Alexander Mountain Fire began in the foothills in late July of 2024, the NoCo Foundation established the Northern Colorado Disaster Recovery Fund. This permanent fund is open year-round and is designed to support both immediate relief and long-term recovery for people, organizations, and places impacted by environmental or human-caused disasters within our service areas.
Our Role
Community foundations across the country play a unique role in disaster recovery. Rather than providing direct services, they serve as a trusted financial mechanism—receiving donations from individuals, businesses, and partners, and distributing those funds in alignment with community-identified needs.
The NoCo Foundation plays this role in Northern Colorado. We work closely with nonprofit partners, local and state leaders, and community members to understand evolving priorities and gaps in funding. From there, we steward donated dollars responsibly and direct resources where they can have the greatest impact during each phase of recovery.
Our Work in Disaster Recovery:
With generous community donations, we’ve invested in long-term needs from the Alexander and Cameron Peak fires. Long-term recovery plays an important role after disasters—both in supporting impacted households and for addressing needs of the ecosystem for restoration and mitigation of impacts from future disasters.
In the weeks following the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires in fall 2020 and the Alexander Mountain fire in 2024, the Larimer County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) convened nonprofit, government, and philanthropic partners to form the Larimer County Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG).
Backed by dozens of nonprofits and faith-based organizations—and supported by generous donors and engaged local governments—the LTRG dove into action immediately following each disaster to assess needs and set recovery priorities.
We have compiled the data and created a report to highlight LTRG funding for each of the fires.
Recent Grants for Ecosystem Restoration:
Disaster Aid Resources
As Northern Coloradans, we know all too well how devastating disasters, whether natural or man-made, can be to the community. From fires to floods, we have had our fair share of disasters that have led to the community coming together to provide support to relief and recovery efforts. Over the last twenty years, the NoCo Foundation has jumped into action when our Northern Colorado community, and communities beyond our state’s borders, needed philanthropic support for short- and long-term recovery. Here, we will share resources with anyone who want to help support the relief efforts of disasters beyond our borders.
