Winter/Spring 2024 Funding Cycle: A Summary
In late March, Colorado Springs Health Foundation awarded 48 grants totaling $3.3M. These grants related to CSHF’s Access to Healthcare, Suicide Prevention and Preventing/Healing Trauma funding focus areas.
Here are some data on the applications and grant awards:
- Total applications: 58
- Total number of grant awards: 48 (83% award rate)
- The grant size ranged from $8,000 to $300,000
- % of grants awarded by funding focus area:
- 56% Access to healthcare;
- 34% Prevent/Heal trauma;
- 10% Suicide prevention
- % of grants awarded by grant type:
- 52% program;
- 46% general operating;
- 2% capital
- Behavioral health-related grant funding ($2.5M) composed 77% of total funds awarded. CSHF defines behavioral health as mental health, substance use disorder and/or suicide prevention.
CSHF’s next funding cycle will focus on Healthy Environments, specifically access to healthy, affordable food; access to opportunities for physical activity; and transitional or affordable housing. The opportunity will open in mid- to late May with applications due late July and decisions in mid-September or October.
The funding opportunity opening will be announced via an email to CSHF’s distribution list. If you are not on that list and would like to be, go to www.cshf.net and scroll down to the bottom of the home page to provide your name/email for the list.
Trustee News
We bid a fond farewell to Martha Barton, who finished her many years of board service in March. Martha served as the President CEO of Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care and Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation for decades, retiring in 2017. After her retirement, she was appointed to the Foundation board, and shared her expertise, wisdom and grace with us as well as many other community organizations. Her knowledge of both healthcare and the community have been invaluable to our organization, and she is greatly missed.
We are fortunate to welcome two new trustees, Chris Garvin and Jackie Jaramillo, who fill the vacancies created by Mia Ramirez and Martha Barton. Chris recently retired from El Paso County Department of Human Services after decades of service, and Jackie currently leads Centro de la Familia. Both bring extensive community knowledge and expertise to the Foundation.
We look forward to working with and learning from Chris and Jackie, and we thank the Mayor and City Council for appointing two more excellent community leaders to our board.
Trustee News
CSHF is thrilled to welcome Raquel Sepulveda as our new Grants Manager. Raquel comes to us from Pikes Peak Community Foundation, where she supported the Philanthropy Collective. Raquel is doing so much more than simply Grants Management. She adds value to everything we do. We particularly appreciate her curious nature, her zeal for learning new things and her “I can figure it out!” spirit plus her excellent work ethic, attention to detail and kind, empathetic approach to the world. Welcome, Raquel!
2023 Annual Report
CSHF’s 2023 annual report is available at the News page of the website. Our 2023 Audit is also available at the bottom of the About Us page of the website.
Upcoming Learning Sessions
CSHF’s Learning Sessions are free and open to the public. Please share with others who may be interested in the topics.
Register: 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) Results: Friday, April 12, 2024, 9 – 10:30 a.m.
What We Are Reading About, Watching or Listening to Now
- A New Yorker essay, “Piecing for Cover” by Ayelet Waldman, which describes why and how quilting can provide solace during times of crisis. Fascinating!
- Homelessness is a Housing Problem by Colburn and Aldern. The authors use data analysis to explore the question of why some communities struggle with homelessness more than others. The results are sometimes surprising, perhaps counter-intuitive and definitely important as we think about what policy and practice changes are required to make progress on this difficult community issue.
- …and another good book on the topic of homelessness, When We Walk By by Adler and Burnes, which is designed to be a “guide to understanding housing instability, supporting our unhoused neighbors, and reclaiming our humanity.” And yes, we can all use more humanity!
- A New Yorker mini-documentary, “Friday Night Blind” about a Milwaukee blind bowling league. Delightful and inspiring.
- A Radiolab podcast, “G: The World’s Smartest Animal” recorded back in 2019 and recently re-shared on the pod. So interesting and laugh-out-loud funny, particularly if you are an animal lover.