About Rural Philanthropy Days

Purpose and Impact

Since 1991, the Rural Philanthropy Days program has connected rural nonprofits with Front Range foundations, and the event provides an opportunity for networking, building relationships and educating each other about needs and services in rural regions.  Rural Philanthropy Days gives communities access to newly identified resources, opportunities for collaboration, and capacity-building services in order to more effectively meet the needs of rural Colorado communities. The event is designed, organized, funded and planned by community leaders from the host region.

Grant seekers, grant makers, representatives of public agencies, and elected officials explore new partnerships that lead to mutual understanding, successful grant proposals, and more financial resources for rural Colorado.

The funders who support and attend Rural Philanthropy Days have invested millions of dollars in rural Colorado, through thousands of grants made to rural nonprofits.

FACT: In FY04-08, these thirteen core RPD funders invested $7.5 million dollars in the eight counties of Southeast Colorado: $7,466,239 through 412 grants made to nonprofits in the region.

In addition to facilitating investment in rural communities, this event also allows grant makers to expand their visibility across the state, familiarize themselves with rural communities, and target their philanthropic giving to organizations and programs that make the greatest community impact. Specifically, the Rural Philanthropy Days program aims to:

• Increase the organizational capacity of local nonprofits and agencies, by providing professional development opportunities through trainings and workshops. Local organizations not only benefit from the training provided at Rural Philanthropy Days but also from technical assistance opportunities introduced at the events.

• Increase the number of grants and total dollar amount of grants going to rural Colorado, by providing face to face access to Front Range funders, and by building the fundraising skills and confidence of rural professionals.

• Offer grantmakers an opportunity to build relationships and to create funding opportunities, by creating opportunities for education on the needs of each region. Grant-makers see the context for grants awarded in rural communities and therefore make well-informed decisions about how to expand regional giving for maximum impact.

• Improve regional collaboration between nonprofits and public entities, by providing an opportunity to demonstrate the nonprofit community’s importance to local elected officials, community and business leaders. In addition to communities working together across county lines, the different sectors are encouraged to work more closely and experience the advantages of collaboration.

• Build relationships and facilitate networking between nonprofit professionals, by creating opportunities for peer discussion around community issues, and by advancing relationships across county and geographic boundaries.

History