Western Colorado Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Western Colorado Community Foundation supports health, housing, human services, substance abuse, environment, community development, education, culture, animals, and religion in seven counties in Western Colorado.
FUNDING AREAS: Health, housing, human services, substance abuse, environment, community development, education, culture, animals, religion
IP TAKE: There are few discretionary funds available at WCCF, but the community funder still wants to be informed about new ideas and potential projects to share with its donors.
PROFILE: Established in 1996, the Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) is a community funder based in Grand Junction, Colorado. Local community leaders founded WCCF to serve a seven-county local region, and today, it manages more than 250 funds. WCCF aims to “promote charitable giving, build and manage charitable funds for community good, and provide grants, scholarships and other resources to benefit the residents and communities of western Colorado.” It funds local efforts for health, housing, human services, substance abuse, environment, community development, education, culture, animals, and religion.
The Western Colorado Community Foundation primarily awards grants through donor-directed funds that are not open to nonprofit applications. WCCF recommends that nonprofits register on its online grant system to access available grant opportunities. In addition to this process to gain nonprofit exposure, WCCF manages numerous other funds that do accept online applications. These include the Bray Cares Foundation, Brownson Memorial Fund, Community Grants for the Environment, Mesa County Small Grants Fund, Ouray County Community Fund, San Juan County Community Fund, T.R.U.E. Grants Fund, Western Colorado Health Fund, and West Elk Community Fund.
Grants range between about $1,000 and $10,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining the recent grants and distribution list on the foundation website. Grantmaking focuses on the Colorado counties of Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and Rio Blanco. Past local grantees include Avalon Theatre Foundation, Black Canyon Animal Sanctuary, KVNF Public Radio, and League of Women Voters of Mesa County.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits for only a few select programs. Each of these programs has unique guidelines and deadlines for online applications. However, nonprofits should also complete an informal WCCF request for funding to share information about an organization or project. Direct general questions to the staff at info@wc-cf.org or 970-243-3767.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
