About Rural Philanthropy Days

History

Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD) is brings together grant seekers and grant makers to meet the needs of Colorado's rural communities. During the creation of the first Colorado Grants Guide in 1991, the Community Resource Center (CRC) discovered that only 3% of the funds granted by Colorado private foundations were awarded outside the Front Range. RPD began in response to that disparity, with the inaugural event held in Grand Junction in 1991.

RPD became the bridge to connect the foundations with the rural nonprofits and provide a market place for networking, building relationships and educating each other on needs and service for their region.

In 1997, a partnership between the Anschutz Family Foundation (AFF) and the CRC was forged and RDP began. Many other foundations have joined to assist in making RPD a great success in the eight (8) regions across the state of Colorado.

Western Slope Rural Philanthropy Days

The Western Slope Rural Philanthropy Days  is a three-day event where representatives of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, elected officials, business leaders and funders learn from one another and collaborate on needed projects. Networking opportunities encourage relationships that lead to mutual understanding, successful grant proposals and more resources for rural Colorado.

The event is designed, organized and planned by community volunteers from this region of Colorado, including Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.

The goals of the Western Slope Rural Philanthropy Days are to:

• Increase the number of grants and the total dollar amount of grants that are awarded to rural areas of Colorado by helping nonprofits improve their fundraising skills.
  
• Acquire stronger support from local resources. Through RPD, the nonprofit community has an opportunity to demonstrate its importance to local business, elected officials, and community leaders.
  
• Improve collaboration between nonprofits, local government, and businesses. In addition to communities working together across county lines, the different sectors are encouraged to work more closely and experience the advantages of collaboration.
• Encourage educated giving for grant makers. Grant makers see the context for grants awarded in rural communities and therefore make well-informed decisions about how to expand regional giving for maximum impact.
• Improve capacity for local organizations and agencies. Local organizations not only benefit from the ongoing training that is provided during Rural Philanthropy Days, but also from technical assistance opportunities introduced at the events.

Rural Philanthropy Days gives communities access to newly identified resources, opportunities for collaboration, and capacity-building services in order to more effectively respond to social, environmental, and economic challenges.

This event also allows grant makers to expand their visibility across the state, familiarize themselves with rural communities, and target their philanthropic giving to organizations and programs that have the greatest community impact.

Finally, RPD offers both grant makers and grant seekers an opportunity to discuss their common interests, forming stronger partnerships that better meet the needs of rural communities.