The Yampa Valley Community Foundation will be awarding a total of $725,979 in grant funding to 91 nonprofit organizations serving Moffat and Routt Counties through its 2026 Community Grant Cycle. The grant cycle accepts requests for up to $10,000; the average award was 83% of the requested amount (range 50%-100%).

The annual cycle consists of an evaluation process carried out by a committee of 40 community members alongside YVCF Board and staff.

Rebekah Greenwood, Executive Director of Senior Social Center in Craig, attested to the benefits of YVCF’s trainings. “In the past year, we incorporated several new practices that our staff and board picked up from YVCF’s education sessions and individual feedback from Camille and Greg. I can truly say that our organization is more effective, and our grant application was stronger this year, due to some of those new processes.”

Senior Social Center was, in fact, one of the nonprofits whose application score improved over last year, and which was awarded 100% of their grant request. Greg Hamilton, YVCF director of grantmaking, said, “We were pleased to see a number of grantees’ scores improve this year, resulting in higher grants. It’s a testament to these organizations that they are committed to improving. We custom tailor our trainings and other forms of support in hopes of helping applicants tell their story better, whether that’s through clear financial documents or compelling narrative responses. We believe these skills translate to higher grants not just from YVCF but from all the other funders out there.”

Forty-six percent ($331,491) of the total dollars went toward program grants. Such grants, designated for a specific project or program, are required of applicants with budgets over $1 million or faith-based organizations. All other applicants may opt to tailor their application as a program grant, but most choose to apply for General Operating funds.

General Operating grants can be particularly useful to an organization, as unrestricted funding provides grantees with operational stability and the flexibility to assess and determine where grant dollars are needed most. Just over half of this year’s total funding supports General Operations.

The Next Page Learning Center’s general operating grant helps serve struggling readers and their families through individualized intervention, diagnostic evaluations, and advocacy. The organization, formerly Steamboat Reading, recently rebranded to better reflect the broader scope of services and expanded geographic reach. A 6^th grader in the program noted improvements after only half a school year: The organization actively engages with many YVCF nonprofit services, including attending Education Series sessions, and they recently opened an agency fund for improved financial security.

Community Grant Cycle committee members are deeply engaged and bring enthusiasm and compassion to the process. Andrea Forster, Committee Chair, said, “Every year I’ve been involved, I’m inspired by the incredible work being done by our local nonprofit community. Committee members are truly invested in understanding the strengths and challenges of the nonprofits they review. Each reviewer shares what they’ve learned with the rest of the committee, providing their unique expertise for the long-term benefit of the organizations.”

The program is funded through the generosity of community members, YVCF Donor-Advised Fund advisors and granting endowments, and the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation (SSRC). SSRC staff participate in the application review and, with funding generated through the Passport Club charitable ski pass program, SSRC has supported the Community Grant Cycle for over thirty years.

For a full list of organizations receiving grants, visit: yvcf.org/past-grant-recipients/