Weld Trust awards $100K ‘proactive’ grant

GREELEY — The Weld Trust, a Greeley-based grantmaking foundation, has awarded $100,000 for Colorado Youth Sports Gives Day, part of a new “proactive” grant program.

The grant will support youth recreation sports in Weld County. The Daniels Fund also is supporting the program up to $500,000 statewide. Weld County organizations that sign up for the program could qualify for a matching grant from The Weld Trust over the dollars they raise, with an additional match from the Daniels Fund, potentially tripling their donation.

The Weld Trust’s proactive grant program is  a way for the organization to identify a community challenge and assemble stakeholders to tackle the problem with funding from The Weld Trust and other funders.

Previously, the organization’s grants have largely been reactive grants, with an organization applying for a grant for a specific program or project and The Weld Trust responding  to that request.

“The Proactive grants are a new concept for us,” The Weld Trust’s CEO, Jeff Carlson, said in a written statement. “We are excited to begin supporting programs that are collaborative, innovative and meet an identified need for the community. Colorado Youth Sports Gives Day is our first Proactive grant, and our team has already identified several other projects in which we are considering investing.” 

In addition to awarding the proactive grant in July, The Weld Trust also awarded $2.2 million in grants through their regular responsive grant cycle, known as Key Funding Initiatives. The grants are awarded to nonprofits, schools and government entities to support Weld County residents.

“This hybrid model of offering both responsive Key Funding Initiative grants as well as Proactive grants better aligns our organization to serve the community,” Carlson said.  “The Weld Trust is constantly looking for ways to improve our grant programs and increase our impact across Weld County.”

Since 2021, The Weld Trust has awarded strategic grants totaling more than $75 million to promote health and education for Weld County citizens.

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