By Tracy Pope | Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado
The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado has disbursed $300,000 in pandemic recovery grants through the Community Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to 91 nonprofits across southwest Colorado.
Organizations were eligible to apply during four rounds of granting, which concluded this month. Funding ranged from $1,000 to $10,000 for each nonprofit. Grant amounts were based, in part, on organizational budget size and counties served. The average grant was approximately $3,300 per organization.
The available recovery funding included $150,000 designated from donations made by individuals to CERF, as well as a matching gift from an anonymous donor. The $300,000 infusion into the nonprofit sector will help community organizations manage some of the long-term negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding was disbursed across Southwest Colorado, including $38,000 to 12 nonprofits in Archuleta County, $4,500 to one nonprofit in Dolores County, $195,000 to 55 nonprofits in La Plata County, $54,500 to 20 nonprofits in Montezuma County and $8,000 to three nonprofits in San Juan County. All nonprofits that applied received funding.
These recovery grants bring the Community Foundation’s total CERF granting since March 2020 to $1.2 million.
“For almost two years, we have been focusing on relieving some of the burdens facing nonprofits across our region,” said Briggen Wrinkle, executive director of the Community Foundation. “It has been daunting work at times and the rewards come as we witness the resiliency of many organizations stepping up to the challenges and continuing to meet the needs of our community.”
To learn more about the CERF, visit swcommuniftyfoundation.org/cerf.
