Milestones in Creating Culture for All

2024 has been a landmark year for many of our funded partners, marking anniversaries of service to our community and corresponding programming to celebrate! The below organizations have uplifted arts, culture, and science in our region by exposing residents to our region's history, the power of music and performance, natural science from birds to dinosaurs to sharks, theatre for youth, dance in all of its forms, and various cultures. Happy anniversary to:



• Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation, 100 Years since castle construction began
• Colorado Railroad Museum, 65 Years and 20 Years of the POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride
• Empire Lyric Players, 65 Years
• Denver Audubon, 55 Years
• Swallow Hill, 45 Years
• Friends of Dinosaur Ridge, 35 Years
• Colorado Chamber Players, 30th Season
• Northglenn Youth Theatre, 30 Years
• Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra, 25 Years
• Tesoro Cultural Center, 25 Years
• Lakewood Cultural Center, 25th Season
• Danse Etoile Ballet, 20 Years
• Zikr Dance Ensemble, 15 Years
• Life/Art Dance Ensemble, 15 Years
• Boulder Children's Chorale, 15 Years
• Ocean First Institute, 10 Years



Engage with Us

SCFD's Executive Director to Step Down in 2025, Assume Senior Advisor Role

SCFD Executive Director Deborah Jordy will step down from her role at the district’s helm on June 30, 2025. A fixture on the national, regional and local arts and cultural scene, Jordy will move into a role as the district’s senior advisor on a host of issues including reauthorization.



Learn more here.

County Cultural Council Openings - Support the exciting arts, culture, and science programs in your backyard!

Each SCFD county has a county cultural council made up of volunteers who live in that county and are appointed by either their board of county commissioners or city council. Council members review grant applications from Tier III organizations and make funding decisions, which are then reviewed by the board of county commissioners or city council and approved by the SCFD board of directors. There are several openings:

Adams County Cultural Council: The Adams County Cultural Councils is seeking to fill three council seats for 2025. Interested applicants can learn more and apply here by December 15 or contact Zoe Ocampo, the Adams County Cultural Council Liaison, at zocampo@adcogov.org with questions.

Boulder County Cultural Council: The Boulder County Cultural Council is seeking to fill two council seats. Applicants need to be 18 years old or older and live in Boulder County. Interested applicants can learn more and apply here or contact Aleta Sherman, the Boulder County Cultural Council Liaison, at asherman@bouldercounty.gov with questions.

Free Days/Events

Organizations from across the metro area provide hundreds of free days and free programs each year, made possible in part, by funding from SCFD. Some organizations are free every day such as Broomfield Veterans Museum, Foothills Art Center, Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Depot Art Gallery, and the Louisville History Museum. Here are a few free days on tap for December:

• Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave – December 4
• Historic Denver/Molly Brown House Museum SCFD Voter Free Evening – December 5
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science – December 8
• Highlands Ranch Concert Band Winter Concert – December 8
• Mizel Institute Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) – December 13
• Longmont Museum – December 14
• Roshni Open Mic & Mingle – December 27

SCFD Board of Directors News

A board of directors governs the SCFD with representation from district member counties Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson and four governor's appointees. The board oversees district funding and ensures the district is running the way voters intended. The board meets eight times a year and all meetings are open to the public.



• The SCFD Board of Directors will have a board retreat on January 16, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the American Red Cross (room TBD). This retreat is open to the public.

• The next meeting of the SCFD Board of Directors will be held virtually at 1:00 p.m. on February 27, 2024. Get information for joining 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!

We Fund Culture

Thanks to the voters and residents of the seven-county metro area, SCFD has come a long way in its more than 35 years of existence. SCFD is the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, a tax collected and distributed to more than 300 cultural organizations in our seven-county Denver metro region including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties. Just one penny on every $10 spent in the district creates vibrancy for us individually and collectively.