Northeast Rural Philanthropy Days boosts funding for economic development in rural Colorado

Residents of northeastern Colorado this summer will be promoting rural philanthropy this summer with a three-day event, Northeast Rural Philanthropy Days, designed to "introduce local nonprofits, businesses and government entities to Front Range foundations to increase the awareness of needs in rural communities," Darci Tomky reports for the Fort Morgan Times. The event, scheduled June 8-10, "is an annual statewide program that comes to the northeast region every four years." (Best Places map)

This year's theme, "Revealing the Potential," include "training, professional development, networking sessions, presentations and discussions with funders about northeast Colorado's needs and opportunities," Tomky writes. About 250 to 300 people are expected to attend the event, which features nonprofit, governmental and business leaders from nine northeast counties—Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma.

"Prior to RPD, which started in the early 1990s, only 3 percent of grant funding from the major funders in Colorado made its way outside the Front Range," Tomky writes. "Today, the core funders of RPD make 15-18 percent of total contributions to rural communities. From 2009-2014, the 12 core funders of the RPD program awarded 617 grants for a total of nearly $18 million to northeast Colorado nonprofits." (Read more)