Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State
Thanks to a $16,107 grant from the LOR Foundation to Adams State University, nearly 30 representatives of San Luis Valley non-profit organizations recently participated in a three-part seminar, the Pen to Paper SLV Grant Writing Workshop Series. One said, “There’s a funder for everyone. Non-profit work involves much more than originally thought.”
Participants represented 28 non-profits from all six SLV counties, ranging from the Alamosa Bicycle Coalition to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. The various organizations support arts and culture, community development, public health, recreation and youth activities, and the environment, serving all ages across the valley. Two thirds of participants evaluated the seminar as “excellent.”
“We are immensely grateful to the LOR Foundation for helping us offer this in-person training to build grant writing capacity for SLV non-profits and governmental agencies,” said Adams State Senior Grant Specialist Tawney Becker. She and Adams State Extended Studies Executive Director Renee Haslett are co-directors of the grant, Building Capacity to Secure Funding for Rural Communities in the San Luis Valley.
The trainings were presented on campus during May and June by the Community Resource Center (Denver), which helps empower non-profits across Colorado to identify and address community needs. The Community Resource Center operates and maintains the Colorado Grants Guide and is widely known for presenting Rural Philanthropy Days across the state to increase support for rural non-profits. Focusing on the Common Grant Application (CGA), the workshop also gave participants personalized coaching and peer review of a current grant application.
LOR works with rural communities in the Mountain West to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique. Learn more at lorfoundation.org.
