November 5, Paonia, CO – The West Elk Community Fund (WECF) awarded nine North Fork area nonprofits with grants totaling $36,740. The local steering committee awarded grants ranging from $500 to $7,500 to help nonprofits increase capacity. Since its inception in 2018, WECF has distributed over $212,000 in total grant funding to benefit the residents of the North Fork Valley.
The following organizations received funding for the 2024 grant cycle:
- Blue Sage Center for the Arts
- Families Plus
- Friends of Youth and Nature (FOYAN)
- North Fork Friends of Montessori Foundation
- North Fork Senior Connections
- North Fork Valley Creative Coalition
- Paonia Players
- Paonia Senior Citizens, Incorporated
- Valley Organic Growers Educational Alliance (VOGEA) – funding partner of Valley Organic Growers Association (VOGA)
The West Elk Community Fund (WECF) was established as an endowed, permanent fund by local community leaders in the West Elk area in 2018. WECF partners with the Western Colorado Community Foundation to build the endowment and distribute earnings annually to the communities of Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford, and surrounding environs. For more information, or to donate to the West Elk Community Fund, wc-cf.org/wecf.
