(CHAFFEE COUNTY, CO) August 19, 2025 – The Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF) is pleased to announce three local nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $25,000. Grants from the Impact Grant Program designed to inspire community-wide innovation on two important issues: Housing & Environmental Sustainability.
Housing Solutions Impact Grant:
● $12,000 for Chaffee County Hospitality to aid in covering the costs for the emergency winter shelters.
Environmental Innovation Grants:
● $9,222 to Guidestone to launch a pilot Backyard Garden Program that will provide and help install raised bed gardens, soil, compost, drip irrigation, and plant starts free of charge for 10 households across Chaffee County to increase community food access and equity.
● $3,778 to GARNA for Fibark waste diversion as well as outreach and preliminary sustainability audits for businesses to assess waste streams, review energy use, and make recommendations on waste diversion strategies, and energy system rebates.
These grants are made possible through generous contributions to two of CCCF’s Collective Impact Funds – The Environmental Stewardship Fund and the Housing Solutions Fund. The majority of contributions to the collective impact fund are by generous, individual donors and local businesses who want to see their contribution leveraged with others for higher philanthropic impact. A notable contributor to 2025 Environmental Stewardship Fund was Bonfire Entertainment, Inc. who donated proceeds from the 2024 Renewal Festival.
A Collaborative, Transparent Grant Process
CCCF is dedicated to clear, fair, and impactful grantmaking for our community. From managing the online portal and confirming applicant eligibility to offering technical assistance, we support organizations every step of the way. We bring together an independent review committee, guide the scoring process, and help ensure that funding decisions are thoughtful, transparent, and focused on creating positive change. 10 volunteer community reviewers dedicated over 130 hours to carefully evaluating applications, ensuring that funding is directed toward the projects with the greatest potential for community impact.
“We are deeply grateful for the time and dedication our reviewers invested in this process,” said Anna Hendricks, Director of Programs of CCCF. “Their commitment ensures a community reviewed process
where every dollar is directed to the programs and organizations poised to make the greatest impact in our community.”
Supporting Nonprofit Growth Beyond Grantmaking
With increasing demand for limited funding, CCCF is dedicated to helping local organizations build their capacity beyond grant applications. In addition to administering grants, CCCF provides ongoing support such as grant writing workshops, individual narrative reviews, and consultation services. CCCF acts as a catalyst to inspire positive change through the power of philanthropy to enrich the lives of all people in Chaffee County.
Local organizations seeking skill building or individualized support can get connected with resources by visiting chaffeecommunity.org/npcapacity.
About Chaffee County Community Foundation Founded in 2018, Chaffee County Community Foundation is a public, nonprofit organization established to promote and facilitate philanthropy in Chaffee County, created by and for the people in that area. Since 2018, CCCF has actively supported nonprofit organizations for the betterment of Chaffee County and the local communities. To learn more, visit www.chaffeecommunity.org.
