The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado, in partnership with Onward! a Legacy Foundation, have raised and distributed more than $200,000 in community donations to non-profits.
NON-PROFITSCONTINUE TO PROVIDE CRITICALLY NEEDED SERVICES DURING THE COVID-19CRISIS WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL FOUNDATIONS AND THE GENEROSITY OF AREADONORS.
THANKSFOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU KEESEE MOTORS INCORTEZ AND THE DURANGO SPORTS CLUB IN DURANGO.I’M WENDY GRAHAMSETTLE.
NON-PROFITSARE ESSENTIAL DURING CRISES BECAUSE THEY CAN PROVIDE URGENTLY NEEDEDSERVICES QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY. THE CORONAVIRUS HASIMPACTED RESIDENTS IN ALL FIVE SOUTHWEST COLORADO COUNTIES, AND LOCALNON-PROFITS ARE WORKING HARDER THAN EVER, AND WITH FEWER AVAILABLERESOURCES, TO MEET THE WIDESPREAD NEED.
FORTUNATELY,RESIDENTS ARE GENEROUSLY CONTRIBUTING TO COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RELIEFFUNDS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED TO NON-PROFITS SO THEY CAN KEEP DOINGTHEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
THECOMMUNITY FOUNDATION SERVING SOUTHWEST COLORADO RE-OPENED THECOMMUNITY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RAMPED UP.THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED 101,000 DOLLARS IN MARCH TO THENON-PROFITS FOCUSED ON HELPING THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ACROSSTHE FIVE SOUTHWEST COLORADO COUNTIES.
DURINGTHE FIRST PHASE OF GIVING, THE “COMMUNITYFOUNDATION SERVING SOUTHWEST COLORADO” AND“ONWARD, ALEGACY FOUNDATION” DEVELOPED A NEWPARTNERSHIP TO MATCH FUNDS FOR DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTYRECIPIENTS. THAT PARTNERSHIP INSPIRED ONWARD TO CREATE ITS OWNEMERGENCY FUND:
WELL, NOW WE'VE REALLY RAMPED THAT UPTO A MONTEZUMA COUNTY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND THAT PEOPLE CAN DONATETO, THAT NON-PROFITS CAN CONTACT US, TALK ABOUT THEIR NEEDS, HOW THEYHAVE SEEN A CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF COVID-19 AND WHAT,WHAT THEY COULD REALLY USE SOME FUNDING FOR RIGHT NOW. AND OUR GOALIS TO HOPEFULLY GET THROUGH THIS EMERGENCY, DOLE OUT AS MUCH MONEY ASWE CAN IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THEN KEEP THAT FUND GOING FOR, YOU KNOW,HEAVEN FORBID, LIKE A FIRE THEY HAD IN MANCOS, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARSAGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME MONEY ALREADYESTABLISHED TO HELP INSTANTANEOUSLY WITH THE AREA.
ONMAY 1ST, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SERVING SOUTHWEST COLORADO WILLDISTRIBUTE A SECOND ROUND OF $100,000 IN GRANTS FOR “COVID-19RESPONSE”. AND, IT IS PLANNING A THIRD ROUND OF FUNDING, BUT WITHA DIFFERENT FOCUS:
NOWROUND THREE, WE'RE CHANGING DIRECTIONS. WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT ROUNDTHREE LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE DEDICATING A $100,000 FROM CERFHOPING TO MATCH SOME OF THAT MONEY. AND THEN GIVING THAT OUT LATEMAY, EARLY JUNE, THAT WILL HELP WITH THE RECOVERY OF THE NONPROFITSECTOR.
WHILETHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SERVING SOUTHWEST COLORADO’S EMERGENCYFUND HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 2008 FIRE THAT DESTROYED SEASON'SRESTAURANT, WRINKLE SAID THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY IS UNIQUE ANDREQUIRES CREATIVE SOLUTIONS:
WELL,IT'S BEEN SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE. WE'VE NEVER HAD AN EMERGENCY THATCOVERED ALL FIVE COUNTIES AT ONCE. AND SO IT'S KIND OF OVERWHELMING,BUT ALSO VERY ENCOURAGING. SO PEOPLE LIKE THE TOWN OF PAGOSA GAVE US$20,000 TO HELP HELP MATCH THE ROUND TWO AND ROUND THREE. SO, YOUKNOW, WE'RE, SO WE'VE GOT ASKS OUT TO ALL THE CITY AND COUNTYGOVERNMENTS, THAT'S THE FIRST ONE THAT'S COME IN, BUT WE HOPE THATOTHERS WILL COME IN AS WELL, WHICH WILL HELP SUPPORT WHAT WE'REDOING.
THEEMERGENCY FUNDS NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE CRITICAL WORK OF NON-PROFITSRIGHT NOW, THEY'RE INSPIRING POSITIVE CHANGE.
WEHAVE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES. ONE OF THE THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT I'VESEEN WITHIN OUR FUNDS IS THIS ABILITY TO REACT IN A VERY QUICKMANNER. SO WE'VE SEEN THAT CHANGE. SOME OF OUR FUNDS WHO ARE JUSTKIND OF NEW, REALLY RAMPED UP, RAMPED UP AND DO A LOT. ANOTHER THINGTHAT I HAVE SEEN IS I THINK BY PEOPLE BEING HOME, MAYBE WORKING FROMHOME, THEY'RE REALLY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE THINGSTHAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES. AND I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD FIVEINDIVIDUALS REACH OUT WHO ARE LOOKING AT MAYBE STARTING NEW NONPROFITPROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALLY TAKING A LOOKAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR MYCOMMUNITY, HOW CAN I FILL, LIKE FILL A GAP IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND ITHINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS KIND OF COME OUT OFTHIS ONCE WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT'S TOUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINKIT'S GOT PEOPLE'S WHEELS TURNING IN A REALLY AMAZING WAY.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONOR TO DONATE, GO TO: SWCOMMUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG ANDONWARDFOUNDATION.ORG. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON THEFOUNDATION’S FACEBOOK PAGES, AND AT SWCODA.ORG
THANKS FOR WATCHING THELOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
