San Luis Valley Rural Philanthropy Days® is Coming September of 2024!

Through the Rural Action Network®, Community Resource Center (CRC) convenes a powerful network of nonprofits, community leaders, funders, and changemakers to tackle persistent issues, develop and cultivate rural leadership, align and increase the giving of philanthropy with the needs of rural nonprofits to support thriving and just communities across rural Colorado.

Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD)® is a statewide program that provides nonprofit leaders the resources they need to lead effective and sustainable organizations. San Luis Valley RPD® serves nonprofit organizations in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties. To become involved in the San Luis Valleys Regional Leadership Committee to help plan interim programming please contact Katy Sawyer at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Call for Presenters for
San Luis Valley Rural Philanthropy Days!

The San Luis Valley Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD) Program Committee is seeking high quality presenters with an interest in supporting rural Colorado community groups. Please consider submitting a proposal for the September conference.

We are recruiting a variety of local experts, capacity building organizations, consultants, and funders to facilitate sessions. Facilitating a session at RPD is a unique opportunity for individuals and groups looking to make a positive impact in rural communities.

Priority deadline to submit your proposal is March 25, 2024.

Submit Your Proposal Here!
Meet the Steering Committee

Previous Events

Regional Collaboration Broadband Summit

The San Luis Valley RPD® Regional Leadership Committee hosted a virtual community wide dialogue to discuss the resources, partnerships, and strategies needed to ensure that all communities in the San Luis Valley have the internet connection needed to succeed.

Panelists

  • Attorney General Phil Weiser
  • Kevin Wilkins, Executive Director, SLV Development Resources Group
  • Josh Wehe, Director of Operations, Jade Communications
  • Monroe Johnson, Chief Technology Officer, SLV Rural Electric Company
  • Kevin Daniel, Chief Information Officer, Adams State University
  • Christine Hunt, Chief Operating Officer, SLV Health

Regional Resources

Regional Resources and Partnership Building Workshops

CRC hosted an online regional workshop to connect nonprofits, government agencies, and funders to provide links to resources, share information, and make connections.

  • Southern Colorado Community Foundation
    • Website – https://sccfcolorado.org/
    • Contact – Jeff Osterman, Executive Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required (719-546-6677)
    • Funds
      • Community Fund – awards grants to organizations based in any SLV county; average range ($2,000-$5,000)
        • Special preference to requests that encourage or enhance leadership in some way
      • Chamberlain Fund – awards grants to organizations based in Pueblo county; average range ($2,000-$5,000)
      • Kerr Foundation – awards grants based on the impact to Rio Grande and Saguache county organizations; average rage ($500-$5,000)
    • Grant deadlines – March 1st and September 1st
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Used this funding to pay for staff training
  • SLV Community Foundation
    • Website – https://www.cfslv.org/
    • Contact – Mike Roque, Executive Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required, (719-679-2970)
    • Awards grants to organizations based in any SLV county
    • Description – The CFSLV uses tools of philanthropy, leadership development, technical assistance, and sustainable economic development to help communities.
  • United Way of Pueblo County
  • Energize Colorado
    • Website – https://energizecolorado.com/
    • Description – We’re mobilizing generous Coloradans to provide resources and relief to small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals, supporting them in recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19, and energizing our community as we look toward the future.
    • Gap Fund – https://energizecolorado.com/gap-fund/
      • Loans up to $20k and grants up to $15k soon to be available
      • Application coming soon
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Energize CO is specifically focused on Rural areas, minority-owned businesses, and those who have not been able to access funding previously. Nonprofit and for-profit businesses can apply!
      • There will be a webinar about the Energize Colorado Gap Fund on Monday at 12:30 pm: https://energize-colorado.typeform.com/to/do3XNhwc
  • National Council on Aging
  • Chinook Fund
    • Website – https://chinookfund.org/
    • Contact – email hidden; JavaScript is required, (303-455-6905)
    • Description – Chinook Fund supports grassroots organizations working on issues of social and economic justice; by pooling our collective resources, we seed groups making a positive, systemic impact to improve the quality of life for all Coloradans.
    • General funding criteria – https://chinookfund.org/apply/
    • Additional Another World is Possible Fund – https://chinookfund.org/anotherworld/apply/
      • Rapid response general operating grants to organizations who are currently active and responding to the impact of COVID-19 on their organizations and communities and have a social justice lens.
    • Notes from Padlet:
  • Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds 
  • USDA Rural Development Colorado
    • Website – https://www.rd.usda.gov/co
    • Contact – Sallie Clark, State Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required, Office (720-544-2901), Cell (720-602-7347)
    • Contact – Local Alamosa Office, (719-589-5661 ext. 4)
    • Programs & Services for Communities & Nonprofits – https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/programs-services-communities-nonprofits
    • Funding Opportunities (program summary and program-specific contact information) – https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/COProgramSummary_March2020.pdf
  • Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Colorado
    • Website – https://cdola.colorado.gov/
    • Contact – Tamra Norton, Environmental Compliance Officer, email hidden; JavaScript is required
    • Link to Fund Development Roundtable Recording
  • Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute
    • Website – www.rmmfi.org 
    • Contact – email hidden; JavaScript is required, (720-941-5037)
    • Description – The Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI) is a community creating economic and social mobility through entrepreneurship. We help curious people transform into serious entrepreneurs through personal, business, and financial investments.
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Business incubator and micro-lending; exploring SLV partnerships
  • My SLV Connect
  • SLV Language Justice Cooperative
    • Contact – Diego Pons, Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required, (719-588-5186)
    • Information – 
      • For translation documents, will do a rate of $0.15 per word or $40 per hour. That is the average translation rate in the United States.
      • Has been awarded a grant that will fund our interpreting/translating services as they embark on a mission to assist the SLV’s Spanish-speaking communities become more educated on COVID-19.
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Group working to provide live translations
  • La Puente AmeriCorps Cohort
    • Website – http://lapuentehome.org/
    • Contact – Amanda Pearson, Development Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required
    • Description – La Puente is our community’s response to address the effects of poverty by providing a safety net of services, where individuals and families get what they need to stabilize, heal, strengthen, and ultimately thrive.
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Often a few of La Puente’s AmeriCorps cohort are doing direct service and work, but would like to learn grant writing. They may be willing to volunteer to help smaller nonprofits. Let me know if you have a need, and I will throw it out to the members.
  • La Puente Food Bank Network/Food Coalition
    • Website – http://lapuentehome.org/foodbanknetwork/
    • Contact – Sherice Shiner, Food Access Coordinator, email hidden; JavaScript is required, (720-318-2731)
  • SLV Public Health Partnership Emergency Preparedness and Response
    • Website – https://www.slvphp.com/
    • Contact – Kay Crowder, Regional Public Information Officer, email hidden; JavaScript is required, 
  • Energy Resource Center
    • Website – https://www.erc-co.org/
    • Contact – Lupita Garcia, Community Relations, email hidden; JavaScript is required, San Luis Valley Office: (719- 587-9492)
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • PCs for people and affordable internet access for students. Call or visit website for more info.
  • San Luis Valley Small Business Development Center – Small Business Association in Alamosa
    • Website – https://slv-sbdc.com/
    • Contact – Jason C. Medina, Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • Small Business Association in Alamosa offers local trainings 
  • Community Services Black Grant (CSBG) – Department of Local Affairs
  • STANCE Project – Linking Systems to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences in Childhood and Early On
    • Website – https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu/research-and-practice/centers-programs/rmprc/research-practice/cdc-core-research-project
    • Contact – Marlayna Martinez, email hidden; JavaScript is required, (970-769-0275)
    • Description – A 5 year project funded by the CDC with the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center in partnership with the SLV Early Childhood Council to address intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and help early childhood centers improve social emotional skills and decrease problem behaviors. 
  • Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center – Cultivating Personal Resiliency
    • Website – https://www.publichealthpractice.org/training-category/rocky-mountain-public-health-training-center
    • Contact – Marlayna Martinez, email hidden; JavaScript is required, (970-769-0275)
    • Description – Cultivating Personal Resiliency is a training/personal improvement opportunity offered through the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center, to support individuals in understanding mindfulness and working through stress. They have public trainings available for anyone to join or a training can be individualized for a group of up to 30 people. The training is not free, prices can be shared by request.  Trainings occur 1 a week for 4 weeks for one hour (all virtually). Please reach out to Marlayna Martinez for more information
  • Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Crisis Counseling Program
  • Colorado Department of Agriculture Rural Mental Health Toolkit
  • The Adoption Exchange/Raise The Future
    • Website – https://www.adoptex.org/
    • Notes from Padlet:
      • The Adoption Exchange offers FREE Post Permanency Services and Support statewide in Colorado.  The Post Permanency Service and Support program incorporates Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) training, personalized in-home coaching, monthly implementation and connection groups, specialized web-based training, resource coordination and respite for families. Our goal is to provide services to families and agencies that work with families to prevent entry or involvement with child welfare system.
      • TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection. TBRI® is designed for children from “hard places” such as abuse, neglect, and/or trauma. Because of their histories, it is often difficult for these children to trust the loving adults in their lives, which often results in perplexing behaviors. TBRI® offers practical tools for parents, caregivers, teachers, or anyone who works with children, to see the “whole child” in their care and help that child reach his highest potential.

San Luis Valley Regional Leadership Committee

The conference comes to the San Luis Valley every four years, local organizations from Saguache, Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Conejos, and Costilla counties all participated in the event. To become involved in San Luis Valley’s Regional Leadership Committee to help plan interim programming please contact Natalie Georgalas at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Check out the SLV RPD Story Board
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About the Program

The goal of RPD® is to bring increased access to resources to support sustainable rural nonprofits, increase the engagement of funders in rural communities, and encourage effective collaboration on a regional scale.

Meeting the needs of rural Colorado communities is what RPD® is all about. San Luis Valley nonprofit professionals in attendance at the 2019 conference were able to participate in more than 30 professional development opportunities over the 3-day conference.

In addition, the San Luis Valley RPD® Conference provided a powerful opportunity for the state’s most influential funders to meet one-on-one with local and regional grantseekers in a series of Funder Roundtable discussions. This exchange helps to break down barriers and ultimately results in stronger partnerships, increased access to resources and the development of long-term relationships.

Learn About the Statewide Program

For more information, please contact:

Natalie Georgalas, Rural Action Network Program Manager at email hidden; JavaScript is required.