The Colorado Trust Grants Five Western Slope Colorado Nonprofits via Rural Philanthropy Days

DENVER, COLO. (Sept. 5, 2019)—The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to creating fair and equal opportunities for Coloradans to lead healthy lives, announced it has granted $5,000 each to five rural nonprofit organizations on the Western Slope of Colorado in conjunction with the June 2019 Rural Philanthropy Days.

Rural Philanthropy Days connects funders with nonprofit organizations and government agencies that serve rural Colorado. The biannual event was created in 1991 by the Community Resource Center (CRC) and the Anschutz Family Foundation to strengthen nonprofit-funder relations and address critical needs in rural Colorado communities.

The June 2019 Rural Philanthropy Days, which took place in Hotchkiss and Paonia, Colo., convened nonprofit representatives from Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa and Pitkin counties. Grants of $5,000 were awarded by The Trust to each of the following organizations:

• Colorado Discover Ability (Grand Junction, serving Mesa County): Works to increase the independence, self-confidence, self-worth and education of people with disabilities, their families and friends through outdoor therapeutic recreation.
• Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action (Grand Junction, serving Mesa County): Builds grassroots power through community organizing and leadership development in several program and service areas.
• River Bridge Regional Center (Glenwood Springs, serving Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties): Provides collaborative services to child abuse victims, their families and communities in a supportive environment through a child-centered approach. Services include forensic nurse examinations in the 9th Judicial District.
• The Joseph Center (Grand Junction, serving Mesa County): Provides day-shelter services and nutritious food for families and children experiencing homelessness; a parent advocate program; and payee representation for clients needing assistance accessing Social Security benefits.
• The Learning Council (Paonia, serving Delta County): Offers complimentary educational opportunities to students of all ages on topics including agriculture, health and the arts, with a focus on community building and empowerment.

Since 2009, The Trust has provided $581,500 in grants to rural Colorado nonprofit organizations via Rural Philanthropy Days, and to CRC to support the statewide Rural Philanthropy Days program. For more information about Rural Philanthropy Days, visit the CRC website.

About The Colorado Trust
The Colorado Trust is a foundation dedicated to achieving health equity—ending inequalities that affect racial, ethnic, low-income and other vulnerable populations, so that everyone can achieve good health. The Trust believes all Coloradans should have fair and equal opportunities to lead healthy, productive lives regardless of race, ethnicity, income or where we live. The Trust focuses on policies and information related to advancing health equity, as well as projects that address health equity in partnership with communities throughout Colorado. For more information, visit www.coloradotrust.org.