The Weld Trust recently awarded $1,849,710 in grants toward health and education programs to benefit Weld County organizations and residents. “Our grants are awarded within specific funding initiatives identified as the most urgent priorities for the community in health and education,” explained Jeff Carlson, Chief Executive Officer for The Weld Trust.
The health grants awarded were in the areas of housing stability, food security, behavioral health, and healthy habits. The housing stability grants were awarded to nonprofits assisting vulnerable populations with emergency housing, as well as resources to assist with rental assistance, affordable housing, and financial literacy classes to help individuals and families become more self-sufficient and remain in stable housing.
Food security grants were awarded to several organizations across Weld County to help distribute nutritious foods to those in need as well as capital costs for food pantries. “According to the Weld County 2022 Community Health Survey, approximately 15% of Weld County adults are food insecure,” Carlson shared. “We are proud to support programs that serve a wide variety of population groups including elderly individuals, young adults, students, families, and people experiencing homelessness.”
The Weld Trust also gave grants to promote mental wellness as well as prevention and direct services for a diverse population including cancer survivors, veterans, aging adults, and single parents. They also awarded a grant working toward advancing fentanyl prevention and intervention for college students in Weld County.
In addition to health grants, The Weld Trust awards education grants focused in three areas- childhood literacy, access to resources, and workforce development. Although there were no applications in the most recent grant cycle in childhood literacy, grants were awarded earlier in the year to support early childhood education programs and parent programs focused on literacy.
Access to resources grants were awarded to nonprofits and schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to assist with tutoring, mentoring, and after-school programs. Grants were also provided to purchase materials and equipment used to promote learning and belonging.
The final grants awarded by The Weld Trust in this grant cycle were aimed at making a stronger workforce for Weld County. They support a variety of programs aimed to help students and young adults with training programs and skills development to be better prepared for the workforce. They also support projects to teach work-based learning opportunities.
One of the larger grants awarded this cycle was a multi-year grant to the Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans School District 6 to help fund equipment needs for the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center which will open to District 6 students beginning this fall. Students will be able to earn post-secondary credits and industry certificates in Cosmetology, Education, Cybersecurity, Welding, and Construction with an Electrical focus.
“We are delighted to partner with Greeley-Evans School District 6 on this project. The CTE Center will help students gain technical and academic skills toward high-demand, high-paying careers,” Carlson stated. “This will have a long-term positive impact for the Weld County workforce.”
Earlier this year, The Weld Trust awarded nearly $2.9 million in grants bringing their annual total to almost $4.74 million for nonprofits, schools, and government entities in Weld County. To learn more about The Weld Trust’s grantmaking program, visit weldtrust.org.
Below is a list of the organizations and grant awards for The Weld Trust’s Spring 2023 Grant Cycle:
| 60+ Ride | $ 50,000 |
| A Woman’s Place | $ 98,450 |
| Balon USA | $ 25,000 |
| Blue Rising Community | $ 50,000 |
| Colorado Succeeds | $ 50,000 |
| Community Outreach Center | $ 32,000 |
| Dayspring Christian Academy | $ 40,411 |
| Envision | $ 56,000 |
| Family of Christ Presbyterian Church | $ 19,000 |
| Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank | $ 30,000 |
| Genesis Project of Northern Colorado | $ 6,615 |
| Hope House Northern Colorado | $ 15,000 |
| Little Willows | $ 10,000 |
| Medicine Horse Program* | $ 55,380 |
| Qualified Listeners Corp. | $ 25,000 |
| Regents of the University of Colorado* | $ 180,224 |
| Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans School District 6 | $ 734,130 |
| The Greeley Dream Team, Inc. | $ 30,000 |
| Top Notch Sports Academy | $ 30,000 |
| University of Northern Colorado Foundation | $ 310,000 |
| Youth Leading Youth | $ 2,500 |
* The Weld Trust awards grants to nonprofits, schools, and government entities located in Weld County, or for services exclusively for Weld County residents.
