There’s a phrase from The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy tells her friends, “There’s no place like home” that connects me with the year 2020. Never would we have imagined what the word home would come to mean as we reflect on 2020.
For Community First Foundation, home is less about a place and more about a state of being – of being in community with others. Of course, there’s the literal translation that home is a safe place, a refuge. In 2020, due to COVID, it also became an office and a classroom. For too many, it also became a thing they risked losing or never attaining because of economic uncertainties.
We know this year was unlike any other. In addition to the human toll, COVID also laid bare inequalities. The killing of George Floyd brought about a racial reckoning and protests, demanding a more equitable and just society. A divisive election fueled further political divisions. All of this gave us pause as we rethought about what home and community mean for our work as a community foundation.
These challenges taught us many things. They made us realize we are connected in ways we never imagined, and therefore cannot live just for ourselves. When a community discovers what it truly cares about, the result is a profound new power for change. We recognize that if we want to make good happen, we need to connect with people, organizations, and ideas. Only then can we activate and focus on how those collective resources can be used to create real and lasting change. We need partners with a bias towards creative, community-driven solutions who are not afraid to try new things. Most importantly, we need to listen empathetically, relentlessly, and systematically with a lens of equity to understand what success looks like for our communities, especially for our neighbors who feel furthest from the opportunity(ies) they desire.
“The Jeffco Hope Fund did just what its name describes – it infused hope in those early COVID days when no one seemed to have much hope.” – Jeffco Hope Fund Grantee
Community First Foundation emerged from strategic planning in 2020 with a renewed focus on Jefferson County and a mission to create opportunities so that all our communities are thriving. For us, this means re-centering our attention on the communities in Jefferson County where we’ve worked since 1975 when we were originally known as the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation. It also means fostering that feeling of fellowship with others who share common attitudes, interests, or values. It means finding ways to discover the web of interconnectedness that is such a quintessential part of being human. Community, or home, is a feeling that can live in many environments, but regardless of its context or locale, community is when people come together to foster trust, belonging, safety and care for each other.
At times, the challenges of 2020 and COVID seemed insurmountable. Yet with our partners, we faced those challenges and began conversations to find solutions. We launched initiatives with hope for rebuilding, reconnecting, and influencing systemic changes so that all communities in Jeffco can thrive. Impossible? No. Are we there yet? Not by a long shot. The only impossible journey is the one never begun, and we are on an incredible journey to nurture community with you.
With this energy in motion, we embraced the bumpy, winding road left by COVID and 2020 that continues today. We committed to continued learning with every step and moving forward in a positive direction. And we did it with you. Together, we are community, and we are making good happen.
Kelly Dunkin, President & CEO, Community First Foundation
Diverse Voices
- Metro Denver Nonprofit Loan Fund to serve BIPOC-led and BIPOC-serving organizations
- Center for African American Health
- Soul 2 Soul Sisters
- Black Resilience in Colorado
- Chinook Fund
- Transformative Leadership for Change
- Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism
Helping All Communities in Jeffco Thrive
Community First Foundation is devoted to radical listening and community-driven solutions to guide our grantmaking. In 2020, we were called in a multitude of ways to support the Jeffco community. Here are a few highlights.
Rapid Response Funding
Supporting Communities During Crisis
In March 2020 we launched the Community First Foundation Jeffco Hope Fund to strengthen and stabilize Jefferson County community organizations responding to and impacted by COVID19. Community First Foundation contributed $1 million into the rapid response fund and 110 donors contributed another $49,800.
Initially, our efforts focused on two phases of funding.
Round 1 – $970,500 to 92 nonprofits providing direct services to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19.
Round 2 – $454,750 to 59 nonprofits that were negatively impacted due to suspended programming, canceled fundraising events and/or shrinking or lack of resources to continue their work during this period of social isolation.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was delivered to first responders, domestic violence shelters remained open, telehealth physical and mental health was delivered, and support groups networked in virtual environments thanks in part because of funding from the Jeffco Hope Fund. In addition, nearly 200,000 pounds of food and more than 128,000 meals were provided to Jeffco families and enrichment programming was provided virtually to the most isolated members of our community through Jeffco Hope funding.
Towards the end of 2020, as the pandemic continued, Community First Foundation contributed additional funds and additional programs were funded in 2021. The results of that funding will be included in future reports.
TeamUp Jeffco
Learning beyond the classroom
COVID forever changed student learning as teaching extended beyond traditional school classrooms to homes, living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Many students began experiencing full remote learning or a hybrid learning model of in-person and remote learning.
At Moore Middle School in Jefferson County, sixth through eighth grade students struggled to engage during the at-home, remote learning days. While elementary students had the option to attend in-person and with high-school students better equipped with self-navigation skills, middle school students found themselves in a void. Parents and community members recognized their struggle and gathered to problem solve, forming a steering committee. Community First Foundation joined the collaboration and awarded a $186,000 grant to support their efforts. TeamUp Jeffco was born.
With TeamUp Jeffco, some of the district’s most at-risk students now had a focused resource and team of champions behind them, redefining what hybrid learning could look like. TeamUp Jeffco featured two off-campus school locations where students visited in small groups on remote learning days. Now, they had access to high-school mentors, teachers, tutors and high-quality learning environments that included multiple levels of academic support, mental health and wellness services, and enrichment opportunities for both students and families.
Jeffco Families Plus
Accessible childcare for all
Part of the challenge facing Jeffco families in 2020 was being able to quickly find openings in childcare programs. “We heard from Jeffco Schools and childcare providers that there were available openings for childcare, but parents were struggling to find and connect with them. Plus, we began to see alternative care arrangements emerging, like neighborhood pods, and we wanted to create a centralized place for families to find what they needed,” said Kelly Dunkin, Community First Foundation president and CEO.
Jeffco Families Plus was born of this need and today, families can search for licensed childcare programs, including providers that provide remote learning support. Providers for all age groups are included, from infant to school age, and available spots are published in real time. Searchable by zip code, commute type and number of children, parents can now more easily find childcare options that are convenient and tailored to specific needs.
Inspired Giving
As the go-to organization for giving in Jefferson County, we focus our efforts on giving locally to solve important issues. By connecting generous donors with impactful nonprofits, we connect ideas, people and nonprofits to make good happen.
We celebrate each and every person who is inspired to commit to making the world a better place. As our communities rebuild and recover from 2020, we share the following stories that get to the heart of our work – people.
#InAuroraNotAruba - A COVID WEDDING PIVOT WITH A PHILANTHROPIC TWIST
Summer of 2020 saw COVID with its full grasp on lives everywhere, including David and Lynnea Hutton who were set to get married. Rather than postponing the big event as so many others were forced to do, David and Lynnea pivoted and celebrated their wedding in their backyard and on Zoom on June 12, 2020 – National Loving Day.
Embracing each other and the hashtags #Huttonsinthehouse #lyDa2020, #InAuroraNotAruba and #HuttonsgetHitched, they asked family and friends to attend the virtual event and, in lieu of gifts, invited guests who felt the need to do something to consider making a tax-deductible donation to their newly launched donor-advised fund held with Community First Foundation.
As they prepared for their new life together, David and Lynnea Hutton established the David & Lynnea Hutton Family Fund as a marriage gift to themselves, essentially creating their own family foundation.
“We were so excited that we could use our wedding as a way to really formally create a family foundation and launch this journey together of how we want to give back and give back in a meaningful way into our community,” said Lynnea. “People were just so gracious and wanted to give us gifts to celebrate our wedding, but both of us each had our own households we were merging into one and we really didn’t need another thing so this, we thought, was a meaningful way for people to support us in our journey together.”
David and Lynnea continue to think about creative ways to use their DAF to give back.
“We both have been giving back in different ways and thought this was an opportunity to start something even bigger,” said David. “One of the biggest things we keep thinking of as we grow our DAF is to help maybe a lower- income student make it over that wall via higher education. And from that, you create so many opportunities for that family, for generations.”
Because the donor-advised fund is held at a community foundation, the funds can only be granted to 501(c)(3) organizations. For David and Lynnea, the experience of inviting guests to donate to their DAF was a win for everyone. Family and friends benefited from the tax deductions and David and Lynnea will choose the nonprofits they wish to support with the funds.
Learn more about starting or growing a DAF.
Impact Investing
Many a great idea has originated at the dinner table. For Emeric Wigand, CEO and co-founder of ADAN (A Different Abilities Network), it was over several dinner conversations with his daughter that led to the realization that the ecosystem for complex and coexisting intellectual, developmental, and medical disabilities was young and rife with fragmentation and dysfunction. “The concept of ADAN was born,” said Emeric.
Together with cofounders Betty Lehman and Steve Foster, the trio began to explore ways to help families struggling with the lifelong challenges associated with disabilities. Their ideas included comprehensive advocacy, lifetime navigation and planning for parents. But traditional brick and mortar centers were cost and time prohibitive.
“We shared a desire to start a business that could make an impact and realized that our entrepreneurial strengths and experiences were complementary,” recalls Emeric.
There are many early challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a company. For ADAN, some of those included time to carefully craft and hone a product strategy and developing problem-solving tools to address the complex fragmentation and dysfunction found in the client-serving system. And, of course, funding. Emeric shared, “raising money before we had a product, platform or customers, and for a for-profit entity in an ecosystem primarily controlled by governments and nonprofits,” made the funding challenges even greater.
A member of ADAN’s Board of Advisors and Emeric’s friend since college, Paul Iaffaldano, had an idea. Paul wanted to explore using a Donor-Advised Fund as a vehicle for impact investing in the blossoming company.
Impact investing is a means of investing to create local and far-reaching impact. Sometimes called mission investing or program-related investing, it differs from grants in that impact investments can generate both targeted social or environmental benefits, and a financial return. As a community foundation and public charity, Community First Foundation can invest and support partner projects and programs creating community change.
ADAN is a social benefit company, which means it is a for-profit corporate entity whose purpose is to create positive impact on society, workers, communities, and the environment. Emeric is excited about how impact investing aligns with social benefit corporations. “Impact investments, in lieu of charitable contributions, allow for investor returns, but only for the purpose of reinvesting those returns in other emerging benevolent entities,” said Emeric. “And as a social benefit company we can focus on doing even more good with the profits we earn.”
“Improving the quality of life in our community is done by activating people ideas and resources so that all communities in Jefferson County have the opportunity to thrive,” said Ken Kirwin, Community First Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. “This is our mission and one way in which we can help communities thrive is through impact investing in corporations who are doing the good work.”
When Kirwin was first approached in 2020, with the idea of collaborating with a donor to explore impact investing, he was excited to “dip the foundation’s toes” into impact investing to support ADAN. “After doing our due diligence to ensure ADAN aligned with our mission and values, we invested in ADAN using the funds our donor-advised fund holder granted to Community First Foundation. Impact investments offer donors and community foundations like us an innovative way to use financial capital to leverage long-term community impact.”
Community First Foundation is eager to explore new impact investments as another way to help generous donors create local impact.
Investing for Impact
Community First Foundation believes in responsible investing and we are committed to applying Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) screens to our investments. Today, 60% of our fund investments are screened and performing as well as, if not better than, our funds that are not screened. Within the next 3 years, 100% of our funds will be screened.
The screens we apply increase wellbeing for all ages and promote diversity, equity and inclusion by advancing equal opportunity, representation, and inclusivity for all people. These screens are reflected in both the selection of our fund managers and the companies we choose to invest in, we demonstrate our commitment to diversity equity and inclusion. It’s how we do business and how we live our commitment to putting all of our resources toward mission.
Whether you are interested in opening a donor-advised fund or an endowment – you can feel good about your investments when you invest with us.
Online Giving
Since 1975, Community First Foundation has been connecting donors with innovative Colorado nonprofits. While many of the challenges of 2020 continue today, we remember not only the incredible loss felt by so many, we also remember the unexpected generosity that surpassed all expectations.
No amount of toilet paper scarcity, social isolation or lost income could stop Coloradoans from demonstrating the power of a kindness. In fact, they sprinkled that stuff everywhere with their generosity. As the challenges of 2020 pushed our communities to unimaginable limits in socially remote environments, we found new connections through online fundraising supporting local nonprofits doing the hard work where it mattered most – at home.
#GivingTuesdayNow
On May 5, 2020 for #GivingTuesdayNow, Colorado joined people around the world for a presentation of hope, generosity and kindness in a time when many continue to suffer from and realize the impact the pandemic is having on their lives, businesses and communities. Community First Foundation is humbled by the generosity of Coloradans who gave to 1,388 nonprofits on #GivingTuesdayNow. We recognize that money is tight and the future uncertain, but these challenges didn’t stop Colorado from trying to help, to stabilize our community, and help us recover.
Coloradans gave $1,361,395 to support the nonprofits who tug at their hearts. Whether a high school choir, animal shelter, or food pantry, 9,572 donations were made by 5,566 people, spreading hope throughout our state.
Donations large and small, ranging from $10 to $15,000 streamed in throughout the day from 49 of Colorado’s 64 counties. We even saw donors from 46 other states supporting Colorado.
As a Community Foundation, we play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. This is what we’re aiming to do with the creation of the Jeffco Hope Fund, serving as the fiscal sponsor for Make4CCovid and supporting #GivingTuesdayNow with our online giving platform, ColoradoGives.org. Empowered Giving for Independence Eve Virtual Concert
In partnership with Denver7, Civic Center Conservancy, and The Colorado Symphony, a special Independence Eve Virtual Concert & Independence Day replay titled “Together in Hope” featured local Colorado performing arts organizations with a streamed performance over the July 3 – 4 holiday. Through music the initiative helped connect our separated, frustrated, and grieving communities by bringing some comfort and joy during difficult times.
The performances featured Colorado Symphony small ensembles alongside professional collaborative cultural partners including Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, with special guest speaker speakers Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Michael Hancock. Audiences had the opportunity to support artists and individuals affected by COVID-19 including Center for African American Health, The Center on Colfax, Civic Center Conservancy, Food Bank of the Rockies, Food for Thought Denver, and Rose Andom Center through ColoradoGives.org/IndyEve.
| Organization | Total Dollars | Total Donations |
|---|---|---|
|
Center for African-American Health |
$5,019.66 |
56 |
|
Civic Center Conservancy |
$1,607.13 |
14 |
|
Food Bank of the Rockies |
$4,854.26 |
42 |
|
Food For Thought Denver |
$4,520.57 |
47 |
|
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado |
$1,793.86 |
25 |
|
Rose Andom Center |
$1,919.26 |
28 |
|
Grand Total |
$19,714.74 |
212 |
Community First Foundation Connects DAF Holders with Colorado Nonprofits
People can initiate a DAF at Community First Foundation with an initial contribution of just $5,000. And, we’re working to make giving even easier for DAF holders both within and outside of Community First Foundation.
In 2020, Community First Foundation introduced a Giving Card program that made it easy for DAF holders to participate in statewide giving on Colorado Gives Day. Twenty-three Giving Cards were used to make 223 donations to 161 nonprofits for a total of $166,978.45. The median Community First Foundation DAF Giving Card donation was $500 and the most frequent donation was $250. DAF holder giving was up 30% in 2020.
Eight outside DAF Giving Cards were used to make 83 donations to 76 nonprofits for a total of $26,324.88. The median outside DAF Giving Card donation was $100 and the most frequent donation was $50.
All-New Giving Card Program for DAF Holders
Community First Foundation introduced a Giving Card program in 2020 that offered DAF holders from other community foundations, or Fidelity and Schwab, to participate in statewide online giving on Colorado Gives Day. These Giving Cards allow those who hold DAFs both with Community First Foundation or with an outside sponsoring organization to select nonprofits using ColoradoGives.org.
In 2020, 100% of the Community First Foundation DAF Giving Cards and 75% of outside DAF Giving Cards were used on Colorado Gives Day. Community First Foundation is already thinking of ways to expand the program in 2021 by amplifying the amount of money that goes to support our local nonprofit community.
Colorado Gives Day
Colorado Gives Day raised a whopping $50,150,142 for local nonprofits, breaking all records and expectations. The 24-hour statewide movement, held December 8, celebrated philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Since its inception in 2010, the event has raised more than $307 million for Colorado’s nonprofits.
For many nonprofits, Colorado Gives Day is an essential fundraising event that fuels their work year-round. In 2020, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of fundraising events and in-person gatherings but the virtual, online giving event triumphed to boost nonprofit fundraising efforts.
Year-round giving
Giving in Colorado isn’t limited to just one day. Colorado donors make giving a part of their everyday lives with ColoradoGives.org. In 2020, 139,000 donors gave more than $71 million was donated to 2,856 nonprofits. More than ever before, the online giving platform met the needs of local donors who were socially distancing due to the pandemic.
| Nonprofit Type | Total Number Donations | Total Amount Donated |
|---|---|---|
| Human Services | 86,676 | $17,584,881.92 |
| Education | 39,423 | $10,135,384.99 |
| Arts, Culture & Humanities | 45,144 | $6,800,056.56 |
| Food, Agriculture & Nutrition | 31,242 | $6,075,278.09 |
| Animal-Related | 49,175 | $5,640,800.05 |
| Youth Development | 14,105 | $4,144,586.39 |
| Health Care | 16,475 | $3,405,379.49 |
| Environment | 19,911 | $2,979,246.69 |
| Housing & Shelter | 11,346 | $2,377,157.40 |
| Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy | 17,017 | $2,045,763.63 |
| Mental Health & Crisis Intervention | 10,542 | $1,658,506.18 |
| Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | 7,670 | $1,555,080.54 |
| Community Improvement & Capacity Building | 6,807 | $1,423,578.96 |
| Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines | 5,669 | $1,075,672.77 |
| Recreation & Sports | 4,514 | $926,798.45 |
| Public & Societal Benefit | 5,011 | $718,389.80 |
| Religion-Related | 2,296 | $613,763.24 |
| Crime & Legal-Related | 2,850 | $562,579.86 |
| Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief | 3,254 | $509,715.19 |
| Employment | 2,668 | $445,260.51 |
| International, Foreign Affairs & National Security | 1,705 | $313,192.40 |
| Military & Veterans Organizations | 1,624 | $246,103.36 |
| Medical Research | 662 | $167,126.58 |
| Science & Technology | 209 | $44,062.71 |
| Social Science | 16 | $2,850.78 |
DAF Grants
| Focus Area | # of Grants | % of Total Grants | Total Amount | % of Total Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Arts, Culture & Humanities |
31 |
6.77% |
$59,900.00 |
1.81% |
|
Education |
65 |
14.19% |
$384,343.99 |
11.59% |
|
Environment |
11 |
2.40% |
$28,900.00 |
0.87% |
|
Animal-Related |
17 |
3.71% |
$40,704.00 |
1.23% |
|
Healthcare |
28 |
6.11% |
$652,198.50 |
19.66% |
|
Mental Health & Crisis Intervention |
2 |
0.44% |
$750.00 |
0.02% |
|
Diseases Disorders & Medical Disciplines |
17 |
3.71% |
$279,397.50 |
8.42% |
|
Medical Research |
3 |
0.66% |
$50,250.00 |
1.52% |
|
Crime & Legal-Related |
9 |
1.97% |
$20,050.00 |
0.60% |
|
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition |
63 |
13.76% |
$313,500.00 |
9.45% |
|
Housing & Shelter |
11 |
2.40% |
$116,000.00 |
3.50% |
|
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief |
10 |
2.18% |
$174,150.00 |
5.25% |
|
Recreation & Sports |
4 |
0.87% |
$14,500.00 |
0.44% |
|
Youth Development |
8 |
1.75% |
$62,500.00 |
1.88% |
|
Human Services |
73 |
15.94% |
$798,850.00 |
24.09% |
|
International/Foreign Affairs |
8 |
1.75% |
$26,650.00 |
0.80% |
|
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy |
15 |
3.28% |
$33,750.00 |
1.02% |
|
Community Improvement & Capacity Building |
5 |
1.09% |
$8,000.00 |
0.24% |
|
Philanthropy/Voluntarism/Grant Making Foundations |
19 |
4.15% |
$62,900.00 |
1.90% |
|
Science & Technology |
1 |
0.22% |
$300.00 |
0.01% |
|
Public & Societal Benefit |
2 |
0.44% |
$7,750.00 |
0.23% |
|
Religion-Related |
56 |
12.23% |
$181,350.00 |
5.47% |
|
Grand Total |
458 |
100.00% |
$3,316,693.99 |
100.00% |
Total Grants Given
COMMUNITY FIRST FOUNDATION COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS
| Focus Area | # of Grants | % of Total Grants | Total Amount | % of Total Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Arts, Culture & Humanities |
5 |
1.88% |
$24,500.00 |
0.47% |
|
Education |
25 |
9.40% |
$711,038.00 |
13.66% |
|
Environment |
3 |
1.13% |
$16,900.00 |
0.32% |
|
Animal-Related |
5 |
1.88% |
$32,000.00 |
0.61% |
|
Healthcare |
32 |
12.03% |
$454,610.00 |
8.73% |
|
Mental Health & Crisis Intervention |
28 |
10.53% |
$540,372.00 |
10.38% |
|
Diseases Disorders & Medical Disciplines |
6 |
2.26% |
$36,150.00 |
0.69% |
|
Crime & Legal-Related |
2 |
0.75% |
$29,487.03 |
0.57% |
|
Employment |
1 |
0.38% |
$12,000.00 |
0.23% |
|
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition |
12 |
4.51% |
$283,500.00 |
5.45% |
|
Housing & Shelter |
12 |
4.51% |
$273,400.00 |
5.25% |
|
Recreation & Sports |
3 |
1.13% |
$14,000.00 |
0.27% |
|
Youth Development |
7 |
2.63% |
$133,000.00 |
2.55% |
|
Human Services |
70 |
26.32% |
$1,135,860.00 |
21.82% |
|
International/Foreign Affairs |
2 |
0.75% |
$22,500.00 |
0.43% |
|
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy |
7 |
2.63% |
$282,500.00 |
5.43% |
|
Community Improvement & Capacity Building |
22 |
8.27% |
$487,028.00 |
9.35% |
|
Philanthropy/Voluntarism/Grant Making Foundations |
16 |
6.02% |
$333,261.17 |
6.40% |
|
Public & Societal Benefit |
1 |
0.38% |
$110,250.00 |
2.12% |
|
Religion-Related |
3 |
1.13% |
$17,000.00 |
0.33% |
|
Mutual and Membership Benefit |
1 |
0.38% |
$12,000.00 |
0.23% |
|
N/A |
3 |
1.13% |
$245,000.00 |
4.71% |
|
Grand Total |
266 |
100.00% |
$5,206,356.20 |
100.00% |
Total Grants Given
2020 Board of Directors
Aaron Azari
Executive Vice President
BOK Financial Private Wealth
David L. Bomberger
Chief Investment Officer
Pinnacol Assurance
Elycia Cook
President & CEO
FRIENDS FIRST
Janet Heck Doyle, Esq.
Retired CEO & President
Kramer Junction Company
Kelly Dunkin
President and CEO
Community First Foundation
Joy S. Johnson
Community Advocate
Russell W. Kemp, Esq.
Attorney
Ireland Stapleton
Brian Larson
Regional President, Metro Denver
FirstBank
Shelley Marquez
Senior Vice President, Community Relations Senior Manager
Wells Fargo
Ronald C. Meyer, M.D.
Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center
Donovan J. (Jerry) Paul, CFA
Senior Vice President
Fixed Income & Portfolio Manager
ICON Advisers
Hereford Percy
Retired President
FirstBank North
Stacey Pool
Chief Marketing Officer
Noodles & Company
Penfield W. Tate III
Attorney, Managing Shareholder
Tate Law, P.C.
Robert Urwiler
Retired Chief Information Officer
Vail Resorts, Inc.
Lynne D. Valencia
Retired Director of Strategic Partnerships
Denver7/KMGH
Gaye Woods
System Director,
Community Benefit
SCL Health
2020 Community Committee Members
Kristin Calder
Felix W. Cook, Sr.
Kim Eilber
William P. Ernstom
Joshua Hawkins
John Lischer
Julia Griffith McVey, Esq.
Dale Martin
Emily Oliver
Malcolm Tarkanian, MD
John Trefny, PhD
2020 Professional Advisors Council
Aaron Azari
(CFF BOD, PSC Chair)
Executive Vice President
Colorado State Bank and Trust
Michael (Mike) Corbett
Vice President
Innovest
Vera Divenyi
Vice President - Client Strategist
BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Kim Eilber (Co-Chair)
SVP, Relationship Strategist
PNC Wealth Management
Heidi Gassman
Attorney
Moye White
Erin Hadary
Partner
Moneta Group
Jeff Kadavy
President and Chief Executive Officer
Trail Ridge Wealth Management
Jason D. Lewis, CFP
Financial Advisor
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
John Lischer
Shareholder
Ryley Carlock & Applewhite
Julie Fletcher McDaniel
Partner, Financial Planner
IMPACTfolio, LLC
Julia G. McVey (Co-Chair)
Balson Faix & McVey LLP
Dan Morris
Investment Advisor Representative
High Point Financial Group, LLC
Andy Pahl
Financial Advisor
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Nicole (Nikki) Royer,
Esquire
Royer-LLC
Leslie Schaus, CPA, MT
Partner
Wipfli LLP
Community First Foundation Staff
Kelly Dunkin
President and CEO
Jaime Aguilar
Digital Communications Specialist
Noah Atencio
Vice President of Community Impact
Raymael Blackwell
Program Officer
Kristina Bravo
Administrative Assistance, Finance + Marketing and Communication
Valerie Brown
Office Coordinator and Meeting Space Administrator
Neelamai Chunlapak
Senior Accountant
Gerry Culver
Data Administrator
Kelly Degering
Grants Manager
Jenni Foxworth
Online Giving Specialist
Marybeth Goodwin
Program Officer
Nazia Hasan
Program Officer, Policy + Advocacy
Kenneth R. Kirwin
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
Cindy Matthews
Marketing & Communication Manager
Beth McConkey
Director of Marketing and Communications
Christine Moreland
Controller
Karen Newcomb
Finance and Accounting Clerk
Rebecca Olchawa Barker
Director of Development
Erica Thornley
Vice President of Product Development, ColoradoGives
Ghazal Vaghedi
Vice President of Business Development and Community Engagement
Emma Wallace
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Bryce Wilkinson
Operations Manager, ColoradoGives
Jeffco Hope Fund Round I grantees ($785,000):
2xtreme Foundation, Inc
A Little Help
A Precious Child
Activ8Sports, Inc
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado
Archway Housing & Services, Inc.
Arvada Community Food Bank Inc
Arvada Visitors Center
Bella Natural Women’s Care
BeyondHome
Brothers Redevelopment, Inc.
Center for African American Health
Chalkbeat Inc
Christian Action Guild, Inc
Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation
Colorado Enterprise Fund
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center
Colorado Pet Pantry
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition
Colorado VNA
Community Faith in Action
Denver Family Institute
Denver Indian Family Resource Center
Developmental Disabilities Resource Center
Devereux Cleo Wallace
Domino Service Dogs
Early Learning Ventures
Edgewater Collective
Epic Experience
Evergreen Christian Outreach
Every Child Pediatrics
Family Promise of Greater Denver, Inc.
Family Tree
Firefly Autism House
Foundation 1023
Front Range Community College Foundation
Gold Crown Foundation, Inc.
Golden Backpack Program, Inc.
Grief Support Network
Growing Home
Hands of the Carpenter
Hope House Colorado
Inner City Health Center
Jeffco Eats
Jeffco Schools Foundation
Jefferson Center for Mental Health
Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Inc.
Jovial Concepts
JUUST Living
Kenzi’s Causes
Khesed Wellness A Colorado Nonprofit Corporation
Latina SafeHouse Initiative
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
Lutheran Medical Center Foundation
Mean Street Ministry a Beloved Ragamuffin Project
Mi Casa Resource Center for Women, Inc.
Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice
Mountain Resource Center, Inc.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Nehemiah Global Foundation
One Arvada
PROJECT C.U.R.E.
Project Helping
Resilience1220
Savio House
Seniors’ Resource Center, Inc.
SHIELD616
Shiloh House, Inc.
Spark the Change Colorado
Spero Recovery
St. Anthony Health Foundation
St. Anthony Health Foundation
STRIDE Community Health Center
Tennyson Center for Children at Colorado Christian Home
The Action Center
The Conscious Alliance
The Dignity Project
The Eating Disorder Foundation
The Initiative
The Pearl Group
The Rising
The Salvation Army
The University of Colorado Foundation
There With Care
Trusted Health Network
Visiting Ancillary Services, Inc.
Volunteers of America
WeeCycle
West Metro Chamber Foundation
WorkLife Partnership
YMCA of Metropolitan Denver
Jeffco Hope Fund Round II grantees ($454,750):
9Health Fair
A Little Help
A Shared Vision: Partners in Pediatric Blindness and Visual
Adaptive Adventures
America’s Kids Belong, Inc
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Arvada Visitors Center
BeyondHome
Butterfly Pavilion
Carin’ Clinic
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Colorado Mountain Club
Community Educational Outreach
David Clifton Ministries Inc
Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation
Dominican Home Health Agency, Inc.
Easter Seals Colorado
Edgewater Collective
Energy Resource Center
Epic Experience
Evergreen Scholarship/Bootstraps, Inc.
Family Tree
Foothills Art Center
Girls on the Run of the Rockies
Gold Crown Foundation, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver
Havern School
Home Builders Foundation of Metro Denver
Hope House Colorado
ICAST
Inner City Health Center
Jefferson County Library Foundation
Joyful Journeys Community Enrichment
Mountain Resource Center, Inc.
National Sports Center for the Disabled
Night Lights
PeaceWorks, Inc.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Inc.
Ralston House
Redistribution Center, Inc.
Resilience1220
Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation
Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association
Seniors’ Resource Center, Inc.
Shining Stars Foundation
Sprout City Farms
Tesoro Cultural Center
The Adoption Exchange
The Arc – Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties
The Center for People with Disabilities
The Chanda Plan Foundation
The Golden Civic Foundation, Inc.
The Learning Source
The Salvation Army
Westminster Legacy Foundation
Wish of a Lifetime
Young Americans Center for Financial Education
Mental Wellness
Total: $1,328,638.00
9Health Fair
Advancing Warriors International
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver
Bright by Text
Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center
Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative
Denver Economic Development and Opportunity
Denver Health Foundation
Doctors Care
Every Child Pediatrics
Foundation 1023
Foundation 1023
Im’Unique
Invest in Kids
Karis Community
Maria Droste Counseling Center
Mountainland Pediatrics
My Quiet Cave
NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties
Parent Possible
Project Helping
Reaching HOPE
Shiloh House, Inc.
Spark the Change Colorado
The University of Colorado Foundation
Trailhead Institute
Young Invincibles
Jefferson County
Total: $1,316,000.00
Food Insecurity opportunity grantees ($250,000):
Food Bank of the Rockies
GoFarm
Growing Home
Hope House Colorado
Jovial Concepts
Mountain Resource Center, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation
Sprout City Farms
The Action Center
We Don’t Waste
Housing Instability opportunity grantees ($768,500):
Arvada Community Food Bank Inc
BeyondHome
Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity
CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties
Catholic Charities and Community Services of the Archdiocese
Energy Resource Center
Evergreen Christian Outreach
Family Tree
Foothills Regional Housing
Hope House Colorado
Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative, Inc.
Mountain Resource Center, Inc.
PeaceWorks, Inc.
The Action Center
Together Colorado
Other:
Colorado Health Institute
Jeffco Schools Foundation
Jefferson County Human Services
Kaizen Food Rescue
The Civic Canopy
Strengthening Nonprofits
Total: $67,600.00
Network for Good Jumpstart Program participants:
Adam’s Camp
BeyondHome
Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity
Carin’ Clinic
Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis
Dominican Home Health Agency, Inc.
Jeffco Human Services Foundation
Jeffco Schools Foundation
The Greenway Foundation
Other:
Red Rocks Community College Foundation
United for a New Economy
Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism
Best Should Teach Fund
Anne and John Blair Donor-Advised Fund
David Bomberger Fund
Brennan Family Fund
Butterfield Family Donor-Advised Fund
Robert M. Casson and Jean. F. Casson Fund
Sam Cheris Charitable Fund
Valerie and Gilmour Clausen Fund
Coburn Family Fund
Aliyah and Milani Cook Fund
Felix and Margie Cook Fund
Dahl Family Donor-Advised Fund
Davis-Massey Family Fund
Fred, Janet and Lucas Doyle Donor-Advised Fund
Dunkin Family Fund
Jacob Esau Giving Foundation Donor-Advised Fund
EDBHLT Donor-Advised Fund
Eicher Family Donor-Advised Fund
Family & Children’s Health Donor-Advised Fund
Janet Fania Memorial Scholarship Fund
Fellman Family Fund
Gardner Azari Family Fund
Gathering Fund
Griffith-McVey Family Fund
Lauren Guthrie Make a Difference Fund
Haggstrom Family Donor-Advised Fund
Hannah Lydia Fund
Hanson Ernstrom Family Donor-Advised Fund
Darl and Darlene Hobson Fund
Hornung Family Fund
Hueni Family Foundation Fund
Jennings Human Capital Improvement Fund
David and Lynnea Hutton Family Fund
Iaffaldano Family Fund
Joie de Vivre Fund
Carolyn Ann Jones Fund
Kemp Family Fund
Klau Family Foundation Fund
B & C Larson Foundation Fund
Leach Family Donor-Advised Fund
Lopez-Atencio Family Donor Advised Fund
Lyall Family Fund
Judith Lyke Fund
Marquez Family Fund
Jean and Ron Meyer Family Fund
Johnson Foundation of the Rockies Fund
Molenaar Family Donor-Advised Fund
Moreland Family Donor-Advised Fund
Morris Family Fund
Morrissey Family Fund
Mike and Naseem Fund
Naumer Family Donor-Advised Fund
Oliver Family Fund
Paul Family Fund
Percy Family Fund
V.L. Ponce Fund
Pool Family Donor Advised Fund
Koger and Marcie Propst Family Donor-Advised Fund
PBJ Reece Charitable Fund
Reidy Family Donor-Advised Fund
Barbara E. & Robert J. Reilly Charitable Fund
Vernon and Sharon Ritzman Donor-Advised Fund
Alan and Emily Robinson Donor-Advised Fund
Schlessman Family Foundation Fund
Shean Family Fund
Sheiner Family Donor-Advised Fund
Phelan Smith Family Fund
Keith and Alisha Stagg Fund
Stevens Family Fund
Stevenson Fund
Storatz Family Donor-Advised Fund
Dave and Liz Stumm Charitable Fund
Steven and Lorain Summer Donor-Advised Fund
Tarkanian Family Fund
Penfield W. Tate III Foundation Fund
Think Local CO Fund
Tough Enough To Wear Pink Fund
Sharon L. & John U. Trefny Donor-Advised Fund
Tuthill Family Fund
Robert and Carla Urwiler Charitable Giving Fund
Lynne Valencia Family Fund
Vanderstoep Family Fund
Raymond & Viola Wagner Family Fund
Waring Family Fund
Marla J. Williams Donor-Advised Fund
Vickie Wilson Family Fund
Winkler Family Foundation Fund
Womanist Empowerment Fund