Just getting started…
November 1, 2022, marked the 15th anniversary of the merger of the Gunnison Area Community Foundation (founded in 1997) and the Crested Butte Community Foundation (aka Friends of Paradise, founded in 2002). Dozens of community members gave endless hours and generous financial contributions to see a community foundation firmly rooted in their backyard. In 2007, the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley (CFGV) emerged with a mission to serve the residents of the Upper Gunnison Watershed. We can’t thank our board, advisors, volunteers, and donors enough for their support!
CFGV and our “parent” organizations have accomplished so much since our respective foundings. Some highlights include:
- Growing our assets from just over $1 million in 2007 to just under $15 million at the end of 2021
- Awarding 112 local students and young drivers with academic and Defensive Driving scholarships
- Recognizing 22 outstanding educators with the Dan Tredway Memorial Excellence in Teaching Award
- Managing 227 individual funds, connecting donors to their passions and resources to needs
- Sponsoring dozens of community groups through fiscal sponsorships, including Mountain Roots Food Project, Gunnison Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, and Crested Butte State of Mind
- Providing monthly books to over 1,100 kids under the age of five through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program
- Connecting 65 nonprofits and community groups with 56 STEP Advisors who have collectively donated over 1,000 hours of time and expertise on over 60 topics
- Granting over $8.4 million into the Gunnison Valley since 2007, including $1.3 million through our Community Grants program
And we’re just getting started!
Much of our focus over the past 15 years has been on supporting the community’s nonprofits so they can more effectively and efficiently deliver their missions. Our nonprofit programming features grant funding, regional trainings, workshops with nationally-recognized experts, one-on-one grant feedback sessions, access to STEP (Sustainable, Tough, Efficient, Purposeful) Advisors who volunteer their time and expertise, opportunities for personalized and unique mentorships, and so much more. We are so proud of the amazing work the nonprofits do in our community; it’s an honor and privilege to serve them.
Working closely with nonprofits gives us a familiarity with the myriad of challenges our community faces. Our role in tackling these challenges continues to evolve. Our community ecosystem is complex and interconnected in so many ways. CFGV’s current work with the Community Health Coalition, Resiliency Project, One Valley Leadership Council, Gunnison Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster, and the Rural Welcoming Initiative gives us the opportunity to build upon existing tools, knowledge, and relationships to cultivate a brighter future for our community.
The best chance we have of tackling the challenges we face in the Gunnison Valley is to bring together everyone involved and develop innovative solutions to complicated problems.
We’re looking for new ways to do just that by creating spaces where people can share ideas and build consensus. We’re seeking new avenues to connect across the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors in order to channel innovation and explore creative solutions to big issues. We’re working to identify common ground on which we can continue building the foundations of a healthy, vibrant, and resilient community where everyone feels welcome and safe.
We celebrate this wonderful community that we are proud to call home! As we look toward the next 15 years and beyond, we invite you to join us in strengthening and enriching the Gunnison Valley so everyone can thrive.
Learn more at cfgv.org/celebrate