Montrose Business Times
The El Pomar Foundation has awarded $195,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit organizations and public entities across the San Juan region, according to a news release.
The funding was approved during the foundation’s March trustees meeting and will support a mix of operating expenses and specific projects in Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.
Among the largest awards, CASA of the Seventh Judicial District received $50,000 for its San Juan Haven at The Village project, and Unify Montrose was awarded $45,000 for general operating support.
Delta County Memorial Hospital received $25,000 toward a Da Vinci robotic surgical system, while Friends of Youth and Nature and Ouray Ice Park each received $15,000 for a passenger van and the “Our Water Our Future” campaign, respectively.
Other grant recipients include Blue Sage Center for the Arts ($6,000), Delta Health Foundation ($5,000), Friends of the Paradise Theatre ($4,000), Loyal Guardians Service Dog Training ($5,000), Shepherd’s Hand ($10,000), and Wright Stuff Community Foundation ($15,000).
The grants were distributed through El Pomar’s competitive and regional merit processes, which together serve as the foundation’s primary funding mechanisms.
According to the release, El Pomar’s Regional Partnerships program, established in 2003, works through regional councils to identify community needs and recommend funding. The San Juan Regional Council advises on grantmaking in the six-county region and includes leaders from business, nonprofit and public sectors.
El Pomar, founded in 1937 by Spencer Penrose and Julie Penrose, distributes roughly $30 million annually in grants statewide. Funding areas include arts and culture, education, health and human services, and civic and community initiatives, according to the release.
