Longmont remains a great place to raise a family, start a business, and enjoy the outdoors but there remain many in our community who struggle to make ends meet and provide for their families As the director, of theLongmont Community Foundation, I’m honored that we can play a role in helping our nonprofit partners support Longmont residents with their needs. While Longmont has changed since I was young, its core values ofcommunity, family, and friendliness have remained unchanged. I firmly believe that it is these values that not only makes Longmont a great place to live, but also creates a community of kind, compassionate and givingpeople that helps the Foundation accomplish our mission of improving life in the St. Vrain Valley through philanthropy and charitable leadership.
As a result of this tremendous growth, our community needs to be ready to assist those nonprofits that support residents with their health, basic needs, and education needs, as well as those that work to improve the aesthetics of the community and overall quality of life through investment in the arts and the environment. To help nonprofits raise the funds they need for the future, the Board of Trustees launched a $2 million dollar campaign to improve Longmont through the Live and Give Longmont Fund. Live and Give Longmont is a permanent fund that not only generates much-needed revenue for existing nonprofits, but also grows over time to ensure funding well into the future.
I invite you to renew your commitment to our community with a charitable gift this year. Please consider a gift to our
operating fund or contributing to the Live and Give Longmont Fund or one of our specialty funds. You may also make your
gift online on our secure site OR make your gift on Colorado Gives Day December 8, 2015.
Investing directly in nonprofit efforts to improve life in Longmont and the St Vrain Valley is our core mission, and last year, because of our generous donors, we met the needs head-on. Below is a short list of our impact in 2015.
* As of November 2015, LCF has provided 436 grants or $746,480 in funding to nonprofits focused on education, human services, health, and arts issues. We welcomed our 142 fund this year.
* We welcomed Longmont Silver Dollars, a giving circle for those 55+who pool financial resources to make adifference in issues affecting seniors
* We launched Longmont Ignite, an effort to fund entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. Funded organizations pledge to give back to Ignite, thus helping other startups in the future.
* The Longmont Cultural Events fund (LCEF) was founded with the support of a generous donor. LCEF will provide financial resources to the parades and events we treasure in Longmont
* We welcomed two New Scholarship funds. Scholarships continue to help exemplary and deserving students further their studies and alleviate their financial needs. 52% of current graduates from Colorado colleges have an average student loan debt of $24,250. Scholarships make a big difference!
* The Arts Galore Fund provided $8,500 to the sculpture project on the new Main Street Bridge.
ALL of the work we do is completed locally by three staff members and 50 volunteers who are dedicated to improving life in Longmont. We are honored to have your involvement and for all you do to help us improve life for allin the St. Vrain Valley.
Best wishes to you for a happy, healthy, and peaceful Holiday Season!
Eric Hozempa
Executive Director
