The Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County manages funds that support a wide range of

charitable activities and programs. Each distribution reflects the breadth and depth of causes that are

important to fund holders. The Community Foundation carefully preserves this focus as it continues a fund’s

work into perpetuity.

One of the most popular endowment focus areas is dedicated to benefiting Weld County children and

young adults. This spring, the Foundation announced grant recipients for the most recent distribution of two

funds which maintain a youth-oriented focus.

The Littler Youth Fund, one of the earliest funds to be part of the Foundation, was started by Hubert and Mary

Littler who did not have children of their own but wanted to benefit the county’s youngest residents. The fund

is decades old and the wishes of its founders continue to be honored. The most recent distribution provided

$45,950 to 11 youth-based organizations:

• Book Trust: Billie Martinez/Maplewood Elementary Schools book program

• Catholic Charities, Guadalupe Community Center and Shelter: Children Always learning lab

• Colorado Humanities: Young Chautauqua program

• Community Grief Center: Camp Braveheart for Weld County youth

• Fort Collins Museum of Discovery: Field trip program for Weld County schools

• Greeley Transitional House: Children/Adolescent program

• High Plains Library District Foundation: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program

• Junior Achievement: JA Start It Up program

• Lutheran Family Services: SafeTouch: The Body Safety program

• Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation: Healthy Hearts for Middle Schools program

• Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans Schools: District 6 Elementary blended learning project

The Rotary / W.D. Farr Endowment also provides youth-focused

funding and is an example of a service organization that created

a fund to honor one of its members. This year the endowment

supported:

Book Trust: Empowering Youth Through Literacy program

Boys & Girls Club: Academic Success program

Partners Mentoring Youth: Community and school-based

mentoring program

SAVA Center: Student Advocate Resource Team Peers

program

Student Recovery Program: General program costs

Weld County School District Six: Nutrition service activities

Weld Food Bank: Kids Backpack program

The Community Foundation Serving

Greeley and Weld County promotes

philanthropy to build resources, develops

partnerships, and provides leadership that

will be of lasting benefit to our

communities.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 7

Foundation Announces Recipients of

Grants for Weld County Youth Programs

Rand M. Thought: Spring

Cleaning and Simplifying Life

Welcome: New

Board Members

The Community Foundation

Serving Greeley and Weld

County welcomes two new

members to the Board of

Directors:

Kristi Thomas: Vice

President, ACE Hardware,

Greeley

Dale Pratt: General

Manager, Burris Optics

We are excited to work with

both of them to support

philanthropic efforts in Weld

County’s communities.

Our society is not known for its simplicity. It’s known more for its tendency toward

accumulation. We seem to like addition, not subtraction. However, you’ve known

of times when less is more.

Minimalists Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus have a 20/20 rule regarding the

countless “just-in-case” things we cling to. Here’s how it works: if you can replace

something for $20 or less in 20 minutes or less, you can get rid of it. How much such

“stuff” do we hang onto cluttering our living rooms, bedrooms, closets, and

kitchens (not to mention our attics, basements, workshops, and storage units)?

Millburn and Nicodemus also offer another suggestion to help with simplifying the larger things in our lives.

They suggest being as completely objective and as honest as you can. Look at any possession. Consider if

you have used that item in the last 90 days. If you haven’t, will you use it in the next 90? If not, let it go.

Whether 90 days or some other guideline you choose, they suggest that if your material possessions aren’t

currently a) serving a purpose, or b) bringing you some measure of joy, it might be time to give some away.

There are obvious exceptions, but you get the gist.

This process can, at one time, bring joy to someone else while bringing joy to yourself. In considering

springtime simplifying it might also be useful to consider community good will in a larger sense. Is there a

particular charitable cause or two that means something to you?

Simplifying life may not be desirable for everyone, but it can be a healthy process, and there are needy

people and worthy nonprofits who can make good use of it. You will have helped someone else, and you’ll

feel better because of it.

Upcoming Grant

Deadlines

Arts Alive! Organizational Grants:

Deadline: June 1st

Grants support special interest

projects in the visual, performing

and literary arts, specifically for

non-operational purposes.

Littler Teacher Mini Grants: Deadline:

June 15th

Grants are awarded to projects that

aid in the development of effective

teaching strategies and projects by Weld county teachers. Awards

will be for up to $1,000 per teacher or $2,500 per project involving

multiple teachers.

Find the Community Foundation Online website: visit www.cfsgwc.org

eNewsletter: email Deborah@cfsgwc.org to be added to the list

Grant Stories: Student

Photojournalism Project

at Bella Romero

Academy

Now more than ever, the use of clear and moving images has

become a cornerstone of how students express themselves. They use it to share their day-to-day activities

with others and to process their experiences growing older in what can be a complicated world.

While students may take selfies with their phones, it’s not as often that they are placed behind the lens

bringing a subject to light. With a grant from the Community Foundation’s Littler Fund, the Bella Romero

Academy Photojournalism Project looked to change this. The school’s 7th and 8th graders were given the

chance to deepen their experience with photography using formal instruction and practice during school

athletic events, clubs, and activities. Other classes gained access to digital cameras in classrooms on a

daily basis as well.

Because of the Photojournalism Project, student-created photography has become the center of the

yearbook, student newspaper, and a student publication, “The Romero Times.” Students take pride in their

work as their families and community members see it on a regular basis. According to Jorge, class of 2020,

“I love that when I look through the yearbook, I know that I had a part in it. I made this happen.”

Community Foundation 2017 Scholarship Awards

At its annual Scholarship Reception on May 9th, the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld

County awarded more than 10 scholarships in excess of $ 220,000 to area students. Scholarships were

awarded from 33 different funds, including three which are new to the Community Foundation.

A full list of scholarship winners is available on our website at www.cfsgwc.org. A photo gallery from the event

is available on The Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County’s Facebook Page.

2017 Profiles Luncheon

Save the date – Tuesday, October 24th

Planning is underway for the Foundation’s 2017 Profiles Luncheon.

This year’s event will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton Greeley

Lincoln Park. It will be a time for the Foundation to celebrate its 20th

Anniversary with the donors, colleagues, and volunteers that have

joined with the Foundation in support of Weld County giving.

The luncheon will feature keynote speaker Sam Adams, a nationally

recognized performer who will help the Foundation consider its

impact on Weld County through the last two decades. Luncheon

presentations will also highlight the role philanthropy can take to

support County communities into the future.

Table and sponsorship packets are currently available. If you are

interested in learning more about how to play a part in this

community event, call Deborah at 970-304-9970 or email

Deborah@cfsgwc.org.

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