Community Collaboration at Rural Philanthropy Days
By Maggie Frasure, The Colorado Trust
Last week, I attended Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD) in Pagosa Springs. RPD connects Front-Range funders with nonprofits and government officials in rural Colorado. A collaboration between the Anschutz Family Foundation and the Community Resource Center (CRC), RPD is an opportunity to learn about the needs of the communities from people who live and work there.
RPD is held biannually and this iteration focused on five counties in the southwest corner of the state: Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties. Hosted in Pagosa Springs, many conference attendees had only driven through previously and were excited about spending time there. From the dinner on Reservoir Hill to the evening in Town Park along the San Juan River, residents entertained the visitors and showed us all Pagosa Springs has to offer, from hot springs to hiking to world-class dining.
In addition to spending time in a beautiful setting, I also had the opportunity to participate in community collaboration. Prior to RPD, CRC hosted a listening tour for the funders to hear about the issues facing the region. Two top issues cited by residents are early childhood resources and sustainable housing. Overall, there is a lack of available spaces for the number of children who need early childhood care and education, and the region is lacking affordable housing units.
During the RPD session, the funders, nonprofits and government officials discussed the two topics, coming up with ideas that could make headway in the next two to four years. Ideas included increasing funding and expanding services at the existing early childhood care centers and building up to 100 affordable housing units. CRC will compile the results from the collaborative sessions and draft an action plan for the funders, nonprofits and government officials.
Through The Trust’s new community-based participatory grantmaking, we are continuing to build relationships statewide. RPD is an opportunity for us to engage community members and learn about the issues they face. By visiting communities, engaging residents and building partnerships, we are working to advance fair opportunities for all Coloradans to be healthy.
