Aspen Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Aspen Community Foundation supports early education, youth, college and career, children and families, human services, and the environment and natural resources in the Aspen region of Colorado.
FUNDING AREAS: Early education, youth, college and career, children and families, human services, environment and natural resources
IP TAKE: Children and youth are the primary targets of ACF grantmaking, so pitch an idea that addresses wealth disparities that impact education and youth development in the region.
PROFILE: Established in 1980, the Aspen Community Foundation (ACF) is a community funder based in Basalt, Colorado. The Aspen Skiing Company created this foundation to generate local charitable contributions and has engaged in fundraising through ski pass programs. The funder “builds philanthropy and supports nonprofit organizations by connecting donors to community needs, building permanent charitable funds, and bringing people together to solve community problems.” It funds local efforts for early education, youth, college and career, children and families, human services, and the environment and natural resources.
The Aspen Community Foundation has pursued its prominent cradle-to-career initiative since 2012 to support youth and early education. It often awards grants to support family and youth development programs. Other major interest areas are basic human needs and emergency assistance. ACF supports both new and well-established organizations in the region. However, it typically only provides single-year grants rather than multi-year support.
Grants range between about $10,000 and $50,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on the 80-mile corridor along the Roaring Fork River and Colorado River. This region of focus includes Aspen, Snowmass Village, Woody Creek, Basalt, El Jebel, Carbondale, Redstone, Marble, Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Battlement Mesa, and Parachute. Past local grantees include Access AfterSchool, Alpine Legal Services, the Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club, and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains-Glenwood Springs.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. Nonprofits can access the grant application in April and submit it through the ACF website. The foundation invites select applicants to submit a full application by June and announces funding decisions in October. Direct general questions to the staff at info@aspencommunityfoundation.org or 970-925-9300.
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