Generostity flowing
El Pomar gifts area nonprofits
Foundation to present $80,000 in grants Friday
COLORADO SPRINGS – Seven nonprofit organizations working in Bent and Otero counties focused on rural economic development, early childhood education and emergency services will receive more than $80,000 in grants this week from Colorado Springs-based El Pomar Foundation.
All of the grants were recommended by El Pomar’s Southeast Regional Council, an advisory board of community leaders representing nine counties in Southeastern Colorado. In total, the council will present $197,000 in grants to 24 nonprofits working in the region during a ceremony on Friday in Pueblo. Rachel Wallace of La Junta and State Sen. Ken Kester of Las Animas are members of the Southeast Regional Council.
The grants benefiting organizations working in Bent and Otero Counties include:
– $30,000 to Organic Seed Alliance, whose mission is to support farmers in Southeastern Colorado as they transition to organic farming.
– $25,000 to the Koshare Indian Museum to fund the historical preservation of Native American art and artifacts.
– $3,000 to La Junta Middle School for the installation of a surveillance camera system.
– $1,500 to Las Animas Library, which serves all of Bent County as a public library.
– $2,500 to Crowley County Elementary School to provide funding for the Southeast Regional Council-initiated Breakfast Buddies enrichment program.
Rural economic development and early childhood education have been important issues in the region for a number of years and the council looked to identify nonprofits and schools in each county working to address these issues.
The council recommended funding for Organic Seed Alliance for the second consecutive year.
“Because of the climate and agricultural conditions in the lower Arkansas Valley suitable to hot weather seed crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash, Organic Seed Alliance and its partner, the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative, had high hopes that there would be significant producer interest for adopting organic seed production as a new profit center and as a way to create on-farm seed variety security,” said Organic Seed Alliance Executive Director Dan Hobbs. “As a result of a producer survey, this interest was confirmed, especially among producers in Otero, Pueblo and Fremont counties. Last year’s El Pomar grant catalyzed some great activity for introducing specialty organic seed as a viable means to increase and diversify farm income in the Arkansas Valley.”
The Southeast Council will present a $25,000 matching grant to the Koshare Indian Museum, which will be directed to the Koshare Indian dancers as well as the Koshare gallery for historical preservation of Native American artifacts.
“The Koshare Indian Museum, like many organizations and individuals, has seen the effects of the recent economic downturn,” said Koshare Indian Museum Operation Director Karen Sue Sarlo. “El Pomar Foundation matching grant dollars will be used to help offset income losses from the last year, mostly in the Koshare Indian Dancers program but also in our gallery and collections operations.”
Bent County nonprofits will also benefit from emergency grants recommended by the Council through El Pomar’s Colorado Assistance (CAF) Fund III. CAF III is a $1 million statewide grant fund created to assist those Coloradans most affected by the economic crisis through grants to nonprofits offering emergency services and abuse prevention services.
The CAF III grants benefiting Bent and Otero counties include:
$5,000 to La Junta Associated Charities
$10,000 to Las Animas Helping Hands
$3,000 to Salvation Army of Ordway
El Pomar initiated the first installment of the Colorado Assistance Fund in fall 2008, and the second installment in summer 2009. Each installment included $1 million in grants to nonprofits across the entire state of Colorado. In total, the nine counties in Southeast Colorado (Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Prowers, Las Animas, Huerfano, Otero and Pueblo) benefited from $228,000 in funding through CAF I, II and III.
Other CAF III grant recipients in Southeast Colorado include Advocates Against Domestic Assault; Samaritan Clinic; South Central Council of Governments; Crossroads Turning Point Inc.; Wayside Cross Gospel Rescue Mission; Catholic Charities of Pueblo; YWCA of Pueblo, Pueblo Child Advocacy Center; Southeastern Colorado Homeless Center; and Pueblo Community Soup Kitchen.
The grants will all be distributed during a presentation that is part of El Pomar’s annual outreach event.
The Awards for Excellence Outreach event allows area nonprofits to meet with the Awards for Excellence Selection Commission (a commission of statewide community leaders that selects 33 nonprofits for recognition and grant awards) and the Southeast Regional Council. The event is designed to give the Selection Commission and the Council an opportunity to learn firsthand about the work being done by nonprofits in the Southeast Region of the state.
In addition to Wallace and Kester, other Southeast Regional Council members include: Felix Lopez, interim president of Trinidad State Junior College; Judge Dennis Maes, chief judicial judge, 10th Judicial District; Jane Rawlings, assistant publisher, Pueblo Chieftain; Rod Slyhoff, president and CEO, Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.
El Pomar Foundation, based in Colorado Springs, is one of the oldest and largest private foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. El Pomar contributes more than $23 million annually through grants and Community Stewardship Programs to support Colorado nonprofit organizations involved in health, human services, education, arts and humanities, and civic and community initiatives. Spencer and Julie Penrose founded El Pomar in 1937.
Colorado Springs, CO —
