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Press Releases - the latest news
TELLURIDE FOUNDATION AWARDS OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
The Telluride Foundation Board of Directors awarded $1,049,670 in Community Grants to 82 regional nonprofits today, bringing the total grants given in 2009 by the Foundation to over $2.2 million.

 

"Thanks to the continued generosity of our donors and the leadership of the Board of Directors, the Telluride Foundation is able to increase by 5 percent the total dollar amount distributed in Community Grants over last year, and 25 percent over 2007. We are one of a very few foundations in the country that were able to increase grants given during this current recession. We are extremely grateful to these generous donors who support the vital work that our community nonprofits and organizations do for all of us," said Joanne Corzine-Brown, Co-Chair of the Telluride Foundation.

 

In its 2009 annual Community Granting cycle, the Foundation received 91 applications seeking $1,476,793. The Foundation awarded grants to 82 of the 91 groups that applied, and awards ranged from $1,500 to $45,000, with 28 percent to human services, 17 percent of the grants funding arts and culture, 18 percent to education, 22 percent to early childhood development, 8 percent to the environment/animals, and 7 percent to athletic groups. Local groups receiving grant awards included organizations serving Telluride, Ouray, Ridgway, Norwood, Nucla and Naturita. The Telluride Foundation supports many types of organizations in the community that serve the people who live or work in San Miguel County. A complete on-line searchable database of all grants can be found at http://www.telluridefoundation.org/index.php?page=grant-recipient-directory.

 

"This year, the Grants Committee seriously deliberated over each application in light of the economy, and the Committee was hesitant to fund new or emerging programs, new staff or new equipment," said George Parker, Chairman of the Grants Committee. "We considered how the need for core and essential services might increase due to the economy and prioritized these services over programs that could be implemented in the future when the economy improves." Parker added, "Human service and education programs were two of the essential services that the Grants Committee chose to emphasize with its funding this year."

 

In addition to its annual Community Grant awards, the Foundation has continued to expand its funding and the reach of its initiative-based granting programs such as the Local Healthcare Initiative, Bright Futures Early Childhood Development Fund, the family emergency Good Neighbor Fund, the Immigrant Integration Initiative - One Telluride, and the Special Initiatives Grant Program.

 

The Telluride Foundation's Community Grant award recommendations are drafted by the seven-member Grants Committee, all of whom sit on the Foundation's Board of Directors. The committee evaluates the grant requests against a rigorous set of criteria and forwards their slate of recommendations to the full Board for review and final approval. The Grants Committee is comprised of Chairman George Parker, Harmon Brown, Allan Gerstle, Melanie Montoya, Brian O'Neill, Trisha Maxon, and Susan Saint James. Their recommendations were reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on December 30th. The Foundation's next round of local grants will be announced in December of 2010, with applications due October 29, 2010.

 

The Telluride Foundation exists to create a stronger Telluride community through the cultivation and promotion of philanthropy. It is a nonprofit, apolitical community foundation that provides year-round support for local organizations involved in arts, education, athletics, charitable causes, land conservation and other community-based efforts through technical assistance, education and grant making. As a grant maker, the Foundation awards grants to qualified applicants that serve the people living and/or working in the Telluride region for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life within the region. For more information on the Telluride Foundation, visit www.telluridefoundation.org.