Nonprofit Network, March 18, 2016

BRIEFS

Legacy Land Trust and Colorado Open Lands announced the successful merger of their two nonprofit land-conservation organizations. Over the last 23 years, Fort Collins-based Legacy has helped more than 100 landowners permanently conserve nearly 43,000 acres in Larimer, Weld, Jackson and Washington counties. Lakewood-based Colorado Open Lands has worked with landowners to conserve nearly 30,000 additional acres in the region since it started in 1981. The two nonprofits began evaluating a merger last fall.

As a result of the merger, Colorado Open Lands has taken responsibility for Legacy’s conservation easements and Legacy has concluded its separate operations.

GRANTS

An anonymous racehorse breeder donated $20 million to Colorado State University to build a regenerative medicine research facility, fulfilling a $65 million matching challenge from lead donors and fellow horse aficionados John and Leslie Malone. In December 2014, the Malones pledged $42.5 million — the largest cash gift in CSU history — for the planned facility. The gift was prompted by their interest in stem-cell therapy and its effectiveness in treating equine joint problems; the Malones raise world-class dressage horses and thoroughbred racehorses. The donations allow construction of the CSU Institute for Biologic Translational Therapies, which promises to tap the body’s healing powers for innovative treatments that improve animal and human health. Groundbreaking will occur later this year; an exact date has not been set.

Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity was awarded $110,000 from Thrivent Financial to support the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity program, an ongoing multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and Thrivent Financial that helps create safe, decent, affordable housing across the globe.

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