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Five San Luis Valley Nonprofits Receive Colorado Trust Grant via Rural Philanthropy Days

Media Contact: Julian Kesner, The Colorado Trust, 303-539-3147

DENVER, COLO.—The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to creating fair and equal opportunities for Coloradans to lead healthy lives, announced it has granted $25,000 to five rural nonprofit organizations in conjunction with the September 2015 Rural Philanthropy Days.

Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD) connects funders with nonprofit organizations and government officials that serve rural Colorado. This biannual three-day 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 September 2015 iteration of RPD, which took place in Creede, Colo., convened nonprofit representatives from Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties.

Grants of $5,000 were awarded by The Trust to each of the following organizations:

  • Antonito Senior Citizens Association (Antonito): The association provides healthy meals, exercise and nutrition classes, regional field trips and ongoing social activities to local and home-bound seniors. The organization plans to use the funds to help provide legal support to seniors, as well as for general operating support.
  • Town of Saguache (Saguache): The 500-resident town is at the northern end of the San Luis Valley. The town plans to use the funds to spearhead a transportation survey for the town and surrounding area, to look at needs and possible solutions.
  • Move Mountains (San Luis): Move Mountains empowers youth in San Luis and the surrounding area in civic engagement, community involvement and healthy living, including access to fresh food and outdoor activities. Programs include an after-school drop-in program, summer internships and leadership development. The organization plans to use the funds to buy gear and other supplies for youth outdoor activities.
  • San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group (San Luis Valley): Formerly known as the San Luis Valley Community Mental Health Center, the organization has provided behavioral health services in the San Luis Valley for 35 years. It plans to use the funds for outreach, training and client advocacy.
  • Sargent Early Learning Center (Sargent/Monte Vista): The center provides a developmentally appropriate program for preschool children, and early Head Start all summer. It plans to use the funds to help install an air conditioner to support its summer programming.

Since 2010, The Trust has provided more than $335,000 in grants to rural Colorado nonprofit organizations through RPD. In addition, The Trust also provides support to CRC for the statewide RPD program. For more information about RPD, visit CRC online.

About The Colorado Trust
The Colorado Trust is a foundation dedicated to achieving health equity. 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.

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Learn about the health equity issues affecting Coloradans at Collective Colorado, a publication of The Colorado Trust.