Our Work in Glenwood Springs & Surrounding Communities

December 2023

Our Work in Glenwood Springs

and Surrounding Communities

For more than a decade, the Western Colorado Community Foundation has worked in Glenwood Springs in partnership with Two Rivers Community Foundation (2RCF). Together we have built the T.R.U.E. (Two Rivers Unrestricted Endowment) Grants Fund, a charitable asset for community good, providing a permanent funding stream for grants to benefit the community... now and for generations to come. In addition to actively working to build the T.R.U.E. Grants Fund, we manage donor-advised funds like the Vanderhoof Family Fund and the Kim Richardson Memorial Fund which keep donors engaged in local philanthropy by providing support to area nonprofits.

We look forward to increasing our impact for local nonprofits working to improve lives in this special part of the world.

Fighting Hunger from Parachute to Aspen

$100,000 Grant to LIFT-UP to Purchase

New Food Distribution Center in Glenwood Springs

Our regional Community Foundation has a deep commitment to addressing food insecurity in western Colorado and has provided generous financial support and technical assistance to many food pantries serving our communities over the past eight years. The COVID pandemic created new challenges and increased demand on local hunger relief organizations that have not gone away. Increasing food prices due to inflation, the end of expanded government assistance during the COVID years, and worries about a recession mean more people are facing hunger. Garfield County’s largest food bank, LIFT-UP, has seen a 600% increase in services since 2020.

Executive Director Ivan Jackson, his board and the staff team at LIFT-UP have been working diligently on a strategic plan and new service delivery models to meet increasing needs in a more efficient manner. Several months ago they entered into a contract to purchase a 11,000 square foot facility for a food distribution warehouse, a food pantry, and a Regional Food Hub to better support local growers and provide more fresh produce to local pantries.

Our Community Foundation is pleased to support the $2 million capital campaign with a $100,000 grant.

WCCF Board Member Spotlight:

Robin Tolan

A 30-year resident of Glenwood Springs, Robin raised her family in western Colorado and enjoys all the outdoor activities living here offers, including hiking, biking, downhill and Nordic skiing. While she travels extensively, she always appreciates coming home to Glenwood Springs.

She lives and breathes nonprofits and philanthropy, having worked as a professional fundraiser for YouthZone for 15 years and now running her own fundraising consulting business. “I love fundraising, especially connecting donors with the causes they are passionate about. My dream is to engage more people in the world of philanthropy and let them know how much it means to give both their time and money.”

Robin joined our Western Colorado Community Foundation Board of Directors three years ago, and serves on our Executive Committee as Secretary. She appreciates the regional scope of our Community Foundation and the difference we make in all seven counties we serve. “The Community Foundation pays close attention to what is going on in all these communities and looks for ways to do something about it. From the housing crisis to youth mental health issues, they are on the front lines of change.”

Thank you, Robin, for all you do to promote local philanthropy and make life better for the many residents of Glenwood Springs!

About T.R.U.E. Grants Fund

Our affiliate partner in Glenwood Springs, the Two Rivers Community Foundation (2RCF), established the T.R.U.E. (Two Rivers Unrestricted Endowment) Grants Fund in 2017. This charitable investment account benefits the people and communities of of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and New Castle. Donations of any size are welcome and appreciated. Donated funds are used to support local nonprofit organizations and projects through an annual competitive grants application process.

Our donors share a connection to the place they live and a commitment to make their community better.

T.R.U.E. Grants Fund In Action

Almost $20,000 in Grants Distributed!

In November, T.R.U.E. Grants Fund Committee members hosted an awards celebration at

US Bank in Glenwood Springs to award 2023 grants.

The Two Rivers Community Foundation (2RCF) recently awarded $19,500 to eight area nonprofits serving Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and New Castle. Awards ranged from $1,250 to $3,500 and were funded through the T.R.U.E. Grants Fund. The grants committee focused on awarding fewer but larger grants this year to help smaller nonprofits build capacity and sustainability.

The following organizations received funding for the 2023 grant cycle:

Dance Initiative
FocusedKids
Garfield County Search and Rescue
High Country Volunteers
Literacy Outreach
The Meeting Place
Raising A Reader
Symphony in the Valley

Since its establishment in 2017, the T.R.U.E. Grants Fund has distributed over $87,000 in grants to nonprofits in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and New Castle.

We invite you to give where you live...

If you are interested in promoting local philanthropy and supporting a number of worthy projects benefiting your community, consider giving to the T.R.U.E. Grants Fund. Gifts of any size are appreciated and are tax deductible. Learn more about T.R.U.E. Grants Fund here .

Donations by check should be payable to the Western Colorado Community Foundation and must include “T.R.U.E.” noted in the memo line. Mail to P.O. Box 4334, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or donate online.

Donate to T.R.U.E. Online

About Western Colorado Community Foundation...

The Western Colorado Community Foundation is a nonprofit, public charity established by local community leaders in 1996. We serve a seven county region that includes Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and Rio Blanco Counties. We are growing steadily and now manage over 330 charitable funds totaling over $150 million in assets and award over $5.5 million in grants and scholarships annually.

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CONNECTING PEOPLE WHO CARE WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER