Bohemian Foundation sets wider goals, makes director hire official

FORT COLLINS — The Bohemian Foundation, the 14-year-old Fort Collins-based nonprofit charitable group founded by philanthropist Pat Stryker, today announced a broadened scope for its programs and that its interim executive director, Cheryl Zimlich, has been given the title officially.

Two new program areas have grown beyond their initial stages to become well-established grant-making areas, the foundation announced in a media statement. Its Civic Programs area, which started on a small scale in 2004, now supports organizations working nationally or within Colorado to strengthen democracy, the statement said, while its Global Programs area, which began as a pilot in 2010, now makes grants to organizations working around the world to address challenges related to public health, poverty and the environment.

The foundation also announced refreshed goals in its Community Programs area, which include “encouraging and enabling youth to thrive; empowering individuals and families on the path toward economic stability; and strengthening our vibrant community.”

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The foundation also created a new online application for money from its largest grant-making program, the Pharos Fund, which was started when the foundation was created, Grant applicants now will have access to workshops and guidance from foundation staff during the application process, according to the media release. The updated Pharos Fund guidelines and a sample application template will be available online in July. Pharos Fund and grantee portal workshops are scheduled from late July to late August. The new Pharos Fund grant application will open on Aug. 3, and the next application deadline is Sept. 10.

Zimlich had filled the role of executive director since 2012, replacing Rob Senn. A volunteer in the education and nonprofit sectors for the past 20 years, she has held board and leadership positions in more than a dozen local and national organizations. A certified public accountant, she previously worked in the audit departments of Coopers and Lybrand in Denver and Sample and Bailey PC in Fort Collins.

Her husband, Joseph Zimlich, is chief executive of Bohemian Cos., the foundation’s real-estate arm, and the only Fort Collins resident on Colorado State University’s Board of Governors.

The foundation also named Erin Ricci as global program manager. She previously had held several positions involved with South and Central Asian affairs for the United States Agency for International Development

The foundation also announced Friday that it had launched a redesigned website at bohemianfoundation.org to provide information about its work locally, nationally and globally.

The foundation employs a 16-member year-round staff. Its 2015 grant-making estimate is $10 million, with $2.5 million allocated to each of its four program areas: civic, community, global and music. The music program is behind some of the foundation’s more locally visible efforts, including the annual Bohemian Nights events and the Music and Sound Lab at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.