SCFD Funding and the Ongoing Federal Transition

We have received outreach from some of our funded organizations regarding the ongoing transition of the federal administration which has resulted in many executive orders and other federal directives from multiple governmental agencies. We understand that the cumulative total of these has caused concern and confusion.

First, it is important to clarify that the SCFD and its funding is not impacted by any of these orders.  The SCFD is a voter-approved, locally funded taxing district serving the seven counties of the Denver metro area. As such, the district neither receives nor disburses federal funding. Any money provided by the district to the nearly 300 organizations we support comes from a sales tax that collects one penny on every $10 spent in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. This tax is distributed through a process initially approved by voters in 1987 and reauthorized by voters three additional times over the SCFD’s more than 35-year history.

Organizations that receive federal grants or other types of federal funding should reach out to those agencies providing the funding or to other available and knowledgeable council to receive guidance on how these federal directives may impact your organization. The SCFD cannot provide this guidance.

In the meantime, the National Council of Nonprofits is tracking executive orders affecting charitable nonprofits, expected impacts, and related actions which you can view here. The chart will be updated regularly. We thank you for the work you continue to do for our Denver metro community during this time. 

Join Us at SCFD's Day at the Capitol!

Arts, culture, and science will fill the halls of the Colorado State Capitol in celebration of SCFD's mission to provide Culture For All on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. From breakfast burritos and celebrations in the House and Senate chambers to grantee exhibits and performances, it's sure to be a fun, wonder-filled morning. We hope you can join us! Learn more and register here.

Engage With Us

Remembering Former SCFD Board Member, Mark Addison

We are sad to share that on January 6, 2025, former SCFD board member, Mark Addison, passed away. Mark served on SCFD's board from 2004 to 2009 and was a major supporter of arts in the metro area throughout his lifetime. Mark championed the SCFD during his tenure on the board, not only as a steward of Boulder County, but the entire district. Mark, along with his wife Polly, were strong artist advocates and significant collectors of local, national, and international contemporary art. “Mark had an outstanding eye and was always on the lookout for new, innovative talent. He will be dearly missed by our cultural community,” said SCFD Executive Director, Deborah Jordy. 

Upcoming Grant Deadlines

Please note that there are a few upcoming Tier III grant deadlines deadlines:

• Final Grant Report: February 12, 4:00 p.m.
• Multi-County Grant Application: March 05, 4:00 p.m.
• Single-County Grant Application: March 12, 4:00 p.m.

As with all SCFD grant deadlines, we encourage you to submit early. You can find instructions and additional information on the Tier III webpage.

Don't Forget: Add Your Free Days to the SCFD Website

We are so excited to support another great year of Culture For All. Please help us share the amazing programming you provide by adding your organization's free days to our 2025 Free Days calendar here. This is one of our most-visited webpages, and we need your help making sure it has the most updated information so district residents can take advantage of free programs.

What you need, when you need it

Just a friendly reminder that we are continuing to add information, tutorials, grant deadlines, and other important details to pages dedicated to your tier of partnership with the district. Please use these resources to help answer your questions. 

Tier I | Tier II | Tier III 

Resources for Good

Support Eaton Wildfire Victims at Colorado Chautauqua's

Concert For LA

The Colorado Chautauqua will host a night of music and giving to benefit wildfire victims on February 26, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature performances from an array of local artists including Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Megan Burtt, Alexa Wildish, Derek Dames Ohl, and more. All proceeds from the Concert for LA will support those impacted by the devastating Eaton Fire, with funds going to the Eaton Fire Recovery and Relief Fund through the Pasadena Community Foundation. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Roundtables from The Collaborative of the SCFD

The Collaborative of the SCFD hosts roundtables, trainings and networking events, which are open to all SCFD Tiers. Please RSVP to Brianna Firestone (Brianna@CollaborativeSCFD.org) if you would like to attend the events below or if you have any questions.

DOVIA/The Collaborative of the SCFD - Volunteer Program Idea Exchange Session

Thursday, February 6, 2025 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Denver Botanic Gardens

1007 York St, Denver, CO 80206

Join us at Denver Botanic Gardens for the annual DOVIA (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies Colorado) and Collaborative SCFD volunteer program idea exchange session. This is an opportunity for educators and education coordinators to have the opportunity to connect and share updates and ideas in person.

Development Roundtable

Friday, March 7, 2025 | 10:00am – 11:30 a.m.

Location TBD

Please join us for another Development roundtable as we head into the spring season.

Volunteer Roundtable

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Mizel Arts & Culture

350 S Dahlia St, Denver, CO 80246

Please join us for another Volunteer Roundtable right before Volunteer Appreciation Month begins! This is an opportunity for us to chat about volunteer initiatives as well as volunteer appreciation month ideas and efforts. Bring yourself, discussion topics, and questions!

Education Roundtable

Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Lone Tree Arts Center

10075 Commons St, Lone Tree, CO 80124

Please join us at Lone Tree Arts Center for another Education Roundtable. This is an opportunity for educators and education coordinators to have the opportunity to connect and share updates and ideas in person.

Development Roundtable

Friday, June 20, 2025 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Colorado Railroad Museum

17155 W 44th Ave, Golden, CO 80403

Please join us for our final Development roundtable of the season.

SCFD Ticket Offer Offer: Buy One, Get One Free Tickets to Air Acoustica at Center for the Arts Evergreen

The Center for the Arts Evergreen is offering SCFD's funded partners buy one, get one free General Admission tickets to its upcoming Valentine's Gallery Concert with Air Acoustica. This evening will feature the modern classical ensemble performing fun, heartfelt covers of timeless songs, and drinks will be available by donation. Use the code SCFD at check-out to take advantage of this generous discount! Learn more and buy tickets here.

New Staff? Make Sure They're Signed Up for SCFD Email Communications!

As the 2025 grant cycle continues, please ensure that any new staff at your organization who might be involved with SCFD funds signs up for our email communications. We send regular updates to organizations by Tier regarding grant deadlines, trainings and more.

"Elevating the SCFD" Shout Out

As part of our ongoing work with you to help raise the profile of the SCFD for residents across the metro area, we’ll be giving a hat tip to organizations who have found a way to include SCFD in their outreach. The goal is to highlight all the ways your organization can help. 

We welcome all funded partners to join us in elevating the value of SCFD. Need ideas or content? Check out our Communicator's Toolkit. And don't forget to tag SCFD in your social media shout-outs or make sure there's an SCFD staff member on the distribution list for any email shout-outs for the chance to be featured below.

Hat Tip to Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities

A special thank you to Broomfield Council on Arts and Humanities for the Facebook shout-out to SCFD!

News from the Board

February Board Meeting

The next meeting of the SCFD Board of Directors will be held virtually at 1 p.m. on February 27, 2025. Get information for joining meetings and see the full calendar of 2025 board meetings.

Other News You Can Use

Did you know you can stay up to date on all things SCFD more than just once a month through our newsletter? Check out our News You Can Use webpage!