|
The Western Colorado Community Foundation's involvement in Ouray County goes back to our early days, when Dave Wood served on the founding board of directors for our regional Community Foundation. The spirit of promoting local philanthropy and improving local communities continued with other Ouray County residents serving as board members over the years, including Sue Hillhouse, Mick Graf, and Hazel Stevens Price.
These same community leaders are the ones who established the Ouray County Community Fund (OCCF) in 2016, which engages donors in funding projects for nonprofits serving the many people who live in Ouray County.
| |
|
Ouray County Historical Society
Preserving the Past for the Future
| |
|
Earlier this year, board members of the Ouray County Historical Society (OCHS) voted to create an endowed Agency Fund to provide a permanent source of funding for OCHS’s operations and programs. An endowment generates annual investment income for years to come and provides a steady source of funding through all economic climates and times of uncertainty.
“The citizens of Ouray County have a history of being generous, kind, and conscious of humanity and beauty that surrounds them,” OCHS board member, Kevin Chismire, said. “Creating the endowment fund for the Historical Society will only serve to grow and prosper it for the future.”
This is the second agency fund established by a nonprofit organization in Ouray County, the first being Carol T. Rieger Agency Fund for Ouray County Performing Arts Guild back in 2007.
WCCF staff are available to provide technical assistance to nonprofit staff members or board committees in planning and building their endowment. If your organization is interested in learning more about Agency Funds please contact Kristin Lynch at Klynch@wc-cf.org.
| |
|
Destination Ouray Via Ferrata
Generous Grant Funding for Capital Campaign
| |
|
Like many places across Colorado, the Town of Ouray was inundated with visitors during the summer of 2020 after months of COVID lockdown. The visitor numbers have remained high since 2020, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, highlighting the need for improved facilities at the Via Ferrata, which shares users with the Ouray Ice Park and the Ouray Perimeter Loop Trail. The three outdoor destinations see at least 50,000 users annually. Visitors to Ouray spend dollars and stimulate the local economy in a big way.
Our regional Community Foundation made a challenge grant from the Dave and Mary Wood Fund to help the Friends Of Ouray Via Ferrata purchase and install a new outhouse on a remote section of the trail. Prior to the outhouse installation the trail faced serious environmental and public health challenges.
If you have a project you're interested in exploring funding for, please visit wc-cf.org/explore-funding/
| |
Ouray County Community Fund | |
|
The Ouray County Community Fund (OCCF) is a charitable fund managed by our regional Community Foundation that benefits the people and communities of Ouray County. A volunteer steering committee of local leaders both raise funds and determine grant awards each year. Chaired by Hazel Stevens Price who serves on the Western Colorado Community Foundation regional board of directors, committee members this year include: Kevin Chismire, Jenny Hart, Maureen O’Driscoll, Hazel Stevens Price, Kara Rhoades, Kay Sibold, Francie Tisdel, and the newest member, Heather Greisz.
| |
|
OCCF Committee organizers hosted an awards celebration at Citizens State Bank
in November for the 2023 grant recipients
| |
|
Thanks to the generosity of the Western Colorado Community Foundation/Dave and Mary Wood Fund, Citizens State Bank, Tom and Sue Hillhouse, and many other local residents, 27 Ouray County nonprofits received a total of $70,100 in grant awards from the Ouray County Community Fund for 2023. The OCCF Steering Committee, comprised of local community leaders, reviewed grant applications totaling over $100,000 in funding requests this year.
The following organizations were awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Grants were distributed in November at an award ceremony hosted by Citizens State Bank.
OCCF 2023 Grants:
| |
- Cedar Hill Cemetery District
- Fortuna Tierra Club
- Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center
- Friends of the Ouray Public Library
- Friends of the Wright Opera House
- George Gardner Scholarship Fund
- Home Trust of Ouray County
- KURA- Ouray High School Radio Station
- Log Hill Volunteer Fire Department
- Minerva West
- Mount Sneffels Education Foundation
- Mountain Air Music, Inc
- Ouray Climbers Alliance
- Ouray County Baseball
| |  |
- Ouray County Historical Society
- Ouray County Performing Arts Guild
- Ouray Mountain Rescue Team
- Ouray Volunteer Fire Department
- Partners Youth Mentoring of Delta, Montrose and Ouray
- Pinhead Institute
- Ridgway Chautauqua
- Ridgway Community Garden
- Second Chance Humane Society
- Special Olympics Colorado
- Upstart: Theater that Moves
- Voyager Youth Program
- Weehawken Creative Arts
| | |
Since its establishment in 2016, the Ouray County Community Fund has distributed over $345,000 in grants to nonprofits in Ouray County. | |
We invite you to give where you live... | |
|
If you are interested in promoting local philanthropy and supporting a number of worthy projects benefiting your community, consider giving to OCCF. Gifts of any size are appreciated and are tax deductible. Learn more about OCCF here.
Donations by check should be payable to the Western Colorado Community Foundation and must include “OCCF” noted in the memo line. Mail to P.O. Box 4334, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or donate online.
| |
Citizens State Bank is a proud supporter of the Ouray County Community Fund | |
|
About Western Colorado Community Foundation...
The Western Colorado Community Foundation is a nonprofit, public charity established by local community leaders in 1996. We serve a seven county region that includes Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and Rio Blanco Counties. We are growing steadily and now manage over 330 charitable funds totaling over $150 million in assets and award over $5.5 million in grants and scholarships annually.
| |
CONNECTING PEOPLE WHO CARE WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER | | | | |
