2021 Highlights

Together with you, we accomplished more than ever for the Gunnison Valley in 2021. As we enter into our 15th Anniversary year as the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything you have done to help the community thrive in the last year.

Mobile Crisis Unit Grant

In March, we granted Gunnison Valley Health our largest single grant to date to support the creation of their mobile crisis unit, in partnership and collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, and our local municipalities, among others. On July 1, 2021, services were initiated by the GVH Behavioral Health Department for Gunnison and Hinsdale counties. In its first three months of operation, the unit responded to 54 calls, helping community members experiencing challenges with substance abuse, suicidal ideation, mental health issues, or domestic abuse. Your support of our COVID-19 Recovery Fund made this grant possible.

Record Number of Scholarships Awarded

In 2021, we were able to award more scholarship dollars than ever before to local students attending a college or university. Five students received a combined $16,295 in scholarships thanks to the generosity of donors like you who recognize the importance of investing in young community leaders.

Collaborative Grants Launched

A great deal of the most impactful local nonprofit work is done in collaboration. To honor that, we added collaborative grants to our competitive Community Grants cycle for the first time in 2021. The two awards in this category were made to Crested Butte School of Dance in partnership with Trailhead Children’s Museum and Center for the Arts and Coldharbour Institute in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Gunnison Valley. We look forward to supporting creative collaborations in 2022 and beyond.

First Annua l Nonprofit Celebration

We have always celebrated our Community Grants Recipients with an event honoring their organizations, with the exception of 2020 when it wasn’t safe to convene in person. In 2021, we made up for it by going bigger and better than ever! We hosted our first annual (pandemic-permitting!) Community Grants Awards and Nonprofit Celebration and invited the whole community to join us. Every nonprofit in the community, grant recipient or not, was invited to attend and set up a table, then guests were encouraged to mingle and learn about the essential work being done by our nonprofit organizations to serve our community. At the end of the event, we held a prize drawing and the two winners were allowed to award a surprise grant of $1,000 to the nonprofit(s) of their choice.

Equity Grants

We were incredibly fortunate to partner with the Gunnison County Library District to invite Dr. Nita Mosby-Tyler of the Equity Project to conduct a two-day training called “Deconstructing Equity” in May of 2021. Participants in the training were then eligible to apply for funding from Advancing Equity grants. We awarded $49,000 through 6 grants to the projects listed below following a competitive grant process:

• Gunnison Watershed School District for the GHS Soccer Program, Meaningful Leadership Class and Equity Labs
• CSU Extension/Gunnison County 4-H Program for Juntos 4-H
• Gunnison County Juvenile Services Department for Spanish Classes for Various Agency Staff
• The Gunnison Project/Trinity Baptist Church for the Activities & Recreation Club

Town of Mt. CB Community Housing Fund

We agree that housing is one of the biggest issues facing the Gunnison Valley. We’re working on a few items related to housing, and one is our partnership with Mt. Crested Butte to establish a fund for collecting donations to support community housing initiatives administered by the town of Mt CB. Anyone who wants to support workforce housing in Mt. Crested Butte can make a tax-deductible donation through the Town of Mt. CB Community Housing Fund.

Southside Skate Park Fiscal Sponsorship

We’ve partnered with the Crested Butte South Property Owner’s Association on their Skate Park Fund. Through this fiscal sponsorship, we extend our 501(c)3 designation to receive donations for the Skate Park project, allowing community members to receive a tax deduction for their contributions to enhancing the quality of life for residents of CB South, currently the second largest residential community in the Gunnison Valley.

Gunnison Country Food Pantry Agency Endowment

One of the best tools we have at CFGV to support local nonprofit organizations is our ability to administer agency endowments. This fund type allows nonprofits to establish a fund that will provide a source of ongoing, consistent operating revenue for their mission forever. In November, the Gunnison Country Food Pantry officially established an Agency Endowment with us to continue their work providing food assistance to Gunnison County community members in need.

If your nonprofit organization would be interested in learning more about establishing an agency endowment, please contact Lauren.

Board Member Orientation Training Offered to Local Nonprofits

We partnered with the Chaffee County Community Foundation and offered a training to all current and prospective board members of nonprofit organizations. The training covered legal responsibilities, best practices as the governors of an organization, and how to keenly read financials and recognize red flags. Real-time English-to-Spanish interpretation was provided.

What’s Next in 2022?

After such a successful year, we look forward to making an even bigger positive impact in 2022. We adopted an ambitious 2022-2024 Strategic Plan and look forward to pursuing our vision of a Gunnison Valley where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We’ll also be celebrating 15 years since the Gunnison and Crested Butte Community Foundations merged to form a valley-wide organization to support our community as a whole. Get ready for fun Anniversary celebrations all year long!