At the June, 2022 meeting of the WZ Giving Circle, members of the group approved funding for 10 proposals totaling $30,829.39, awarded to seven nonprofit organizations.
The WZ Giving Circle was started by Ray (Kip) and Karen Parks, when they realized that there were needs in our community that were being unmet, due to a lack of funding sources for things such as necessary home repairs or additional assistance with housing and food, once existing resources in the community were exhausted or had reached the maximum for a particular client.
Three times per year, Yampa Valley Community Foundation puts out a request for proposals from local nonprofit organizations who have clients facing critical and immediate needs for which they cannot identify other funding sources. The nonprofits submit proposals, keeping the client name confidential and anonymous, then present the proposal to the WZ Giving Circle at their grant meeting. This source of funding has proven to be a critical component in helping our community members in need, who many times have nowhere else to turn.
At the WZ Giving Circle meeting in June 2022, members heard presentations from Advocates of Routt County, Come As You Are, The Health Partnership Serving Northwest Colorado, Horizons, Integrated Community, LiftUp, and Partners in Routt County. Ultimately 10 proposals were funded, totaling $30,829.39. This brings the total funded through the WZ Giving Circle so far in 2022 to over $52,000.
Funding was provided to assist with needs such as mobile home porch repair, therapy for a child with disability, surgery for an elderly man on fixed income, rent assistance for a man with cognitive disability, and guided horseback riding experience for a youth in a mentorship program.
The WZ Giving Circle members appreciate the opportunity to be of service to those in our community who have fallen on hard times or find themselves in a position where they must ask for help.
The next WZ Giving Circle meeting will take place in Fall, 2022. For more information, please contact traci@yvcf.org.