www.southeastrpd.org April 2013 In This Issue: Looking toward the 2014 event Page 2 Upcoming foundation grant deadlines Page 2 Recent grant awards Page 3 Share your news Non-profit news Page 3 Pages 3-5 Do you know someone who could benefit from receiving this newsletter? Please forward his or her e-mail address to teri.erickson@ojc.edu Southeast Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days Update growing together RPD workshop planned in Lamar The Southeast Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days Leadership Team has planned a full-day workshop series in Lamar on May 15. The event, Breaking the Ice: Philanthropy in Southeast Colorado is being planned as both a follow-up to the last Southeast Rural Philanthropy Days event that was held in La Junta in 2010 and as a precursor to the 2014 Southeast RPD event, which will be held in September 2014 in Trinidad. This workshop is a great opportunity for representatives of non-profit organizations to learn best practices for leading their organizations into the future, for learning new skills, for networking with other non-profits and for meeting foundation representatives, said Teri Erickson, Southeast RPD s Regional Manager. The event will be held at Lamar Community College from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. May 15 and feature several opportunities for non-profit representatives to learn new skills. Topics include marketing, completing the Common Grant Application, writing Common Grant Reports, developing capital campaigns, budgeting and more. Attendees will have an opportunity to select the sessions they plan to attend when they register. A highlight of the day will be a luncheon that features a funders roundtable. Representatives from the Anschutz Family Foundation, El Pomar Foundation and the Daniels Fund will provide insight into what it takes to write successful grant applications and what their boards are looking for when they approve applications. Space is limited for this one-time workshop opportunity, so those planning to attend are asked to register early. Registration which includes a light breakfast and full lunch with the roundtable session is $65 for those who register before May 1. After that date, the price increases to $75. No registrations will be accepted after May 8. The region covered by Southeast RPD includes Otero, Bent, Crowley, Prowers, Kiowa, Baca, Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Registration for the event is being completed through the Community Resource Center s web site: https://www.crcamerica.org/cividesk/?page=civicrm&q=civicrm/event/ info&reset=1&id=362. Payment is accepted by credit card or check. The event is sponsored by the Southeast RPD Leadership Team, the Colorado Nonprofit Association, the Community Resource Center and Lamar Community College. For additional information, please contact Teri Erickson at (719) 384-6962 or teri.erickson@ojc.edu.
Looking ahead to RPD 2014 It is amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like only yesterday that we were planning and holding the last Rural Philanthropy Days event in Southeast Colorado. That was in 2010 and we are already looking at making plans for our next event, to be held in September 2014 in Trinidad. Over the last three years, a group of leaders from throughout the Southeast s eight-county region have worked in conjunction with the Community Resource Center (CRC) to keep in touch with attendees from the 2010 event and to work with new non-profits and new employees at existing non-profits. This has been done through a series of workshop opportunities, the publication of this quarterly newsletter and periodic updates on happenings in and around our region. Now, as we approach the summer months, we are working to wrap up our in-between RPD activities. We have one final workshop opportunity for you (please see details on page 1) and hope many of you will be able to attend. We will also publish one additional newsletter (in early July). After that, we will form a steering committee to begin planning the 2014 event, which will bring non-profit organizations together with foundation representatives for a multi-day event. The 2014 event will be in need of a slate of volunteers who want to help make it happen. We are already starting a list of steering committee members and will work with CRC to ensure that the best leadership possible is put together to work on this event. Anyone interested in helping with the planning of the 2014 event is invited to send their contact information to teri.erickson@ojc.edu. Teri Erickson, RPD Regional Manager Upcoming grant deadlines Below is a list of some of the upcoming grant application deadlines for Colorado foundations. April April 30 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation April 30 Herbert E. Parker Charitable Trust May May 1 Sam S. Bloom Foundation May 1 Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation May 1 Maki Foundation May 1 Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation June June 15 Alice N. Jenkins Foundation June 15 The Colorado Health Foundation July July 1 Adolph Coors Foundation July 1 Gates Family Foundation July 1 Helen K. & Arthur E. Johnson Foundation July 31 Lucille Drinkwater Allen Charitable Trust July 31 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation More information on these funders can be found in the Colorado Grants Guide, available online. Always contact a funder before applying to ensure their giving guidelines and grant deadlines have not changed. 2
Recent Grants The following organizations reported grant awards received in recent months: Baca County The Walsh Ambulance Service has received $14,005 from the Caring for Colorado Foundation to assist with the purchase of First Responder Equipment. Las Animas County Mt. Carmel Health, Wellness and Community Center in Trinidad was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Caring for Colorado Foundation to hire a third practitioner in the medical clinic. With this grant, Mt. Carmel will be able to expand their services even more by adding weekend hours and extended weekday evening hours, officially making Mt. Carmel Trinidad's only urgent care facility, outside of the hospital emergency room. Mt. Carmel also received $5,000 from the El Pomar Foundation to be used toward general operating costs. Non-profit news Southeast Health Group receives national recognition The Youth and Family Services Team of Southeast Health Group, under the leadership of Youth and Family Services Director Laura DiPrince, has been recognized by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare s Awards of Excellence. Chosen from a field of nearly 1,000 applicants, the Summer Jam program was named Program of Significance under the Impact Awards: Excellence in Service Innovation category. Summer Jam is a respite care and behavioral skills training program for school-age youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems. Southeast Health Group CEO Becky Otteman and DiPrince received the award April 9 at the National Council Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Trinidad plans second water festival May 16 The Culebra Range Community Coalition, under the direction of Tom Perry, is proud to present the Second Annual Trinidad Water Festival at the Trinidad State Junior College Campus May 16. The event will again instill awareness and appreciation of water quality. This year s theme is Agua Es Vida which means Water is Life. Students will learn what we all can do to protect and improve it, as well as to encourage conservation so we can pass on the benefits of clean, healthy water to future generations. This is done through a fun, colorful festival that will bring different ages and groups of Trinidad together in an educational, community-building festival. In preparation for this day, students will participate in exciting pathways such as poetry and poster contests and educational projects. Share Your News! Do you have news to share? Information and photos for this newsletter may be submitted to Teri Erickson at teri.erickson@ojc.edu. Please include your contact name and phone number in case follow-up is required. Items will run in future issues on a space-available basis. All items may be edited for space and content. The next deadline is noon on: July 1. 3 Laura DiPrince and Becky Otteman receive Impact Award from National Council for Community Behavioral Health
Non-profit news, cont. Canyons & Plains Unveils Information Kiosks in Four Southeast Colorado Communities Information kiosks in Eads, Fowler, Granada and Springfield now welcome visitors to Southeast Colorado by providing maps and information on local history and attractions. These four gateway kiosks are the first phase in a Wayfinding Project sponsored by the regional heritage tourism group, Canyons & Plains (C&P). Canyons & Plains, with Otero County serving as the conduit, received funding totaling $80,000 from Preserve America (a historic grant division of the National Park Service) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to pay for the kiosks. The wayfinding panels are one of the key components of the strategic plan Canyons & Plains developed in 2007. The four new installations will make the full array of heritage opportunities visible to travelers, said C&P Board President Pam Denahy. The panels introduce regional stories that have national significance, and keep travelers in the region longer, thus helping to produce new tourism revenues. Each installation features a large map of Southeast Colorado identifying important natural and cultural attractions. Separate panels include a timeline of the region s nationally-significant heritage sites, a guide to local wildlife and bird watching opportunities as well as information on the history of the local community or area where the kiosk is located. C&P will continue efforts to boost heritage tourism with a second phase of wayfinding in connection with the Colorado Department of Transportation. That phase, which is just beginning, will place similar visitor information kiosks in over a dozen cities and towns in Southeast Colorado, further highlighting the unique resources this region has to offer. Canyons & Plains (formerly known as the Southeast Colorado Regional Heritage Task Force) is a heritage tourism development organization. Formed in 2003, C&P serves seven counties: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero, Prowers and eastern Las Animas. The non-profit group promotes visitation to and stewardship of the unique historical, natural and cultural assets of southeastern Colorado among resident, state, national and international audiences. Since its formation, C&P has garnered over $1 million in funding for area projects. Early Learning Center hosts egg drop The South Central Council of Governments Early Learning Center is a nonprofit center in Las Animas County offering services for children ages 1-10 and their families. The Center recently held its annual Egg-Stravaganza Early Learning Center Family Egg Drop. The event was attended by approximately 300 people who watched the Trinidad Fire Department drop packaged raw eggs from a 65-foot ladder truck. The eggs that break and do not are graphed every year, with results typically at about 50% each way. Director Deb Hartman said she doesn t know who has more fun: the children, staff, parents and grandparents or the firemen that fight over who gets to go up every year. The activity is part of a spring science project where children learn all about eggs: weigh, measure, sink, float, how to dye, how to make egg salad and the parts of the egg. They even get to play with baby chicks. The program offers several parent activities like the egg drop to get children and families excited about learning and to start a healthy educational foundation. 4 The map and Wayfinding panel in Eads.
Non-profit news, cont. Youth Academy Art Day proclaimed in Trinidad The Southern Colorado Youth Academy received a Proclamation from the City of Trinidad on April 10 for Southern Colorado Youth Academy Art Day on April 17. The event, "Strengthening Families" will include a special public reception highlighting artwork from students ages 1-17. Students from Trinidad High School, Trinidad Middle School and COG Children s Center will be on hand to assist with showcasing their art to the general public. Two $50 cash prizes will be available for Best In Show Awards. Kimber Begano, Founder/President, said she is very excited about the partnerships which have been built over the past year. The organization has served around 400 students since the beginning of 2013. The Southern Colorado Youth Academy provides academic, healthy living, athletic, artistic and citizenship-based curriculum that enables youth and families to discover true passions, build confidence to develop skills and capacity to tackle their realized goals to promote healthy choices and healthy children. Mt. Carmel plans full year of wellness activities Since the first of the year, the Mt. Carmel Health, Wellness and Community Center in Trinidad has expanded staff and services to achieve its vision of being a beacon of health and wellness in Southern Colorado. Several programs are underway there, under the guidance and direction of Dr. Leo Bonfadini, with more scheduled. Each is aimed at improving the quality of life for the people of Las Animas County. Mt. Carmel is supporting and organizing several community events slated for the coming months. The first of these, the Eighth Annual Women's Exchange Luncheon, took place March 23 at Trinidad State Junior College s Sullivan Center. Proceeds from the event will be used to sponsor a TSJC scholarship for a woman who did not go straight to college from high school, but who is now choosing to pursue a college degree. Proceeds will also benefit Women s Wellness Programs at Mt. Carmel. Also in March, Mt. Carmel hosted several dinners for the soldiers stationed at Pinon Canyon, offering a home-cooked meal and the support of Mt. Carmel's staff and community and civic leaders. Upcoming events at Mt. Carmel include: On April 20, Mt. Carmel will host the Run for the Fallen Coal Miners 5K, 10K or ½ Marathon. The race will wind through the Purgatoire Valley and will be preceded on Friday night by a spaghetti dinner. This run/walk will kick off a year-long dedication to the 100-year anniversary of the Colorado Coal Field Wars, which culminated in the Ludlow Massacre on April 20, 1914. With the renaissance of the original Church property, the Annual Celebration of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival has been revived with the original spirit. This traditional community event will take place July 12-14 and kicks off with a spaghetti dinner, wine tasting and live entertainment. Saturday will include music and dance performances, vendors and activities for all ages. The Ride for the Fallen Coal Miners/LUDLOW100 Century Bike Ride will take place Sept. 10, marking the 100-year anniversary of the start of the Colorado Coal Field Wars. Proceeds will benefit the creation of Mt. Carmel's Fallen Coal Miner's Memorial and Amphitheatre. As an organization committed to the health and wellness of mind, body and spirit, Mt. Carmel faces the challenge of making wellness a priority for the entire community. Making resources easily accessible and affordable to the community is vital, as these areas of wellness evolve into a priority for the entire community. Upcoming events include a grief support group; Colorado Weigh; dental care referral services; Matter of Balance; Cooking Matters; diabetes management; Living with Arthritis; Parkinson s support group; and Spirituality and Autonomy: Reflections on Advance Directives and Living Wills. For more information on any current or upcoming program, contact Dr. Bonfadini at (719) 845-4880. 5
Non-profit news, cont. OJC Foundation to host art show and auction The Otero Junior College Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization created to help support scholarships and programming at OJC, will hold its first art show and auction May 18. The Off the Wall Art Show and Auction will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 18 at the Otero Museum, 706 W. Third Street, La Junta. The event, held in conjunction with the Otero Museum s Ninth Annual Wine Tasting, will feature a variety of artwork, a silent auction and a live auction. All proceeds will benefit student scholarships. Tickets to the event are $20 for individuals or $35 for couples. They can be purchased by contacting OJC Foundation Director Teri Erickson at (719) 384-6962. TLACED working to bring jobs, businesses to Trinidad The Trinidad-Las Animas County Economic Development (TLACED ) office is meeting with several businesses about expanding to or locating in the community. Mike Howard, doing business as the Dodgeton Creek Brewery, is in the process of breaking ground at the Trinidad Industrial Park where he and his partner Carrie Gorman will start their new business of brewing beer. They hope to be open by the end of this summer and have their 13 flavors on the market by next spring. They recently moved to Trinidad, but Mike s family are long-time residents of the area. Dodgeton Creek may be familiar name to the residents of Cuchara and La Veta as Mike s family property borders the creek. The five-year plan for the business includes expansion after two years and employing up to seven people. Aaron's Sales and Lease of Fine Furniture is currently looking for property in Trinidad to erect a 5,800 square foot showroom. Matt Holmes, COO of DPR investments and Jim Wheeler, Regional Manager of Aaron s, contacted TLACED last month and expressed their intent to build the facility near Exit 11 off of Interstate-25 in Trinidad. They are seeking the help of the TLACED office to expedite their search for property, gather information on the area workforce, city permitting and more. Steven Kelly, Executive Director of TLACED, said that several location prospects have recently come to light that are suitable for the business. DPR Investments hold several franchises for the Aaron s brand and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The Trinidad Aaron s will employ up to 10 employees. Project completion is targeted for the first quarter of 2014. TLACED is wooing Sally s Beauty Supply, Intl. with the help of Nick Nickerson of D.F. Nickerson, LLC, a commercial real estate holding company out of Parker, Colorado. Mr. Nickerson owns the Big-R shopping center located off of I-25 exit 15 (Goddard Avenue). Nickerson contacted the TLACED office last year with information that Sally s Beauty Supply would be a perfect fit for his center and requested TLACED s assistance. Kelly has made plans to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECON (The Global Retail Real Estate Convention) in Las Vegas this May. The convention will host over 30,000 industry professionals from all over the globe. He has scheduled appointments with Sally s to discuss their locating in Trinidad and he has made other key appointments with industry shopping center professionals. If brought to Trinidad, Sally s will employ up to six employees shortly after opening. The office recently completed the input of all of Trinidad and Las Animas County s commercial real estate on the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) State of Colorado s Insite web site. The site features commercial real estate information for companies looking to build, expand and/or relocate to an area in Colorado. This new and innovative web site will allow ED offices throughout the State to list their commercial properties focusing on each sector of the state. Today, Trinidad and Las Animas County have over 30 listings on the site. Visit the site at: www.advancecolorado.com/siteselection and click on sites and buildings-colorado Insite. The office also launched its new website in January. The TLACED Board of Directors hired Merged Media, a Trinidad company, to create the site. It can be viewed at www.tlaceconomicdevelopment.com. The website features interactive views of the Trinidad Industrial Park, full download of TLACED s Community Profile Booklet and the TLACED Retention Survey for 2013-2014. 6