CNCC receives $30K grant from El Pomar Foundation

RANGELY — Colorado North­western Community College (CNCC) is among 15 nonprofit organizations from northwestern Colorado that will be recognized and rewarded with grants during a presentation at the Two Rivers Winery in Grand Junction.
The grants were recommended by the Northwest Regional Council of El Pomar Foundation, an advisory board of local community leaders that makes grant recommendations regarding nonprofit organizations in Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties to trustees of Colorado Springs-based El Pomar Foundation.
Each year the Northwest Council recommends more than $100,000 in grants.
The $30,000 grant is to support CNCC’s school-to-work program, which prepares high school students with the necessary tools to enter the workforce. The money will go toward supplies, tuition assistance, and program development.
“CNCC provides important workforce training as well as other higher education classes,” said council member Audrey Danner, a Moffat County commissioner.” These opportunities allow for citizens of northwest Colorado to be prepared to meet the jobs available in our region.”
The council focused its grant recommendations around issues related to workforce, housing, and transportation, The council is examining ways it can address these topics to help create sustainability during tough economic times.
Other Northwest Regional Council members include Tilman Bishop, University of Colorado regent; Reeves Brown, Club 20 Education and Research Foundation; Tim Foster, Mesa State College; Tom Kenning, Alpine Bank; Bob Ladenburger, St. Mary’s Hospital; Greg Rippy, Grand River Construction; Diane Schwenke, Grand Junction Chamber; and Senator Al White, District 8.
A total of $188,500 will distributed to 15 northwestern Colorado organizations during today’s presentation. In addition to Colorado Northwestern Community, grant recipients include: Club 20 Education and Research Foundation (Grand Junction, $15,000); Housing Resources of Western Colorado (Grand Junction, $36,500); Mesa State College (Grand Junction, $50,000); North Park Medical Clinic (Walden, $10,000); Summit Preschool and Childcare (Rifle, $25,000); Western Colorado Community College (Grand Junction, $20,000), Western Colorado Math and Science (Grand Junction, $25,000).
Individual council members also have the opportunity to designate $1,500 outstanding service grants to organizations of their choice. Those grant recipients include Colorado Discover Ability Integrated Outdoor Adventures, Mesa State College Barry A. Bishop Scholarship Fund, Mesa County Business Education Foundation, Mesa Youth Services (Partners), North Park Medical Clinic, The Memorial Hospital of Craig, Senior Matters because Seniors Matter and Western Colorado Center for the Arts.
Before the presentation, representatives from more than 20 different nonprofit organizations located in the region will participate in workshops conducted by El Pomar senior staff members. The workshops focus on building leadership capacity and strengthening the local nonprofit sector.
Similar events are taking place across the state in conjunction with eight other regional councils. In total, the nine councils throughout Colorado recommend more than $1 million in grants each year. Council members also serve as advisers to El Pomar trustees when they consider requests for traditional grants from nonprofits located throughout the state. In 2008, 28 different nonprofit organizations in northwestern Colorado received grants from El Pomar. In total, the foundation has granted $5.6 million to northwestern Colorado nonprofits since El Pomar was founded in 1937.