2024 has been a busy year at Community Foundation Boulder County, and we’ve accomplished a lot thanks to the hard work our staff puts in day in and day out. So, in the final days of the year, we thought we’d hand the microphone over to those hard-working staff members to hear about some of their 2024 highlights! Learn more about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into our daily operations and ensures our ability to support the community’s most pressing needs all year round.
Helen Gemmill
The Environmental Affinity Group and the Women’s Philanthropy Group
The work of the Environmental Affinity Group and the Women’s Philanthropy Group of the community foundation was a huge highlight of my year! Together they represent almost 500 donors and friends of the foundation who are eager to deepen their understanding of issues facing Boulder County, to learn from peers and leaders in the field, to target their generosity where it matters most to them, and to build community with others who care about these issues. The work is thoughtful, generative, inclusive, fun, and happens through a large series of convenings throughout the year. It’s such a beautiful way for donors to get or stay involved with Community Foundation Boulder County over time, and to unleash more generosity in all directions! This work is a highlight for me personally because of the people involved and what is possible in that collective; creating a space for such engaged, helpful people to come together and make a difference is inspiring to me and I think to everyone involved. I hope these groups will continue to grow in membership and continue to move more money to the most pressing issues facing our community.
Ken Long
A Clean Audit
The Finance team did some amazing work this year to oversee what we think is the foundation’s first clean audit with no management letter (management letters discuss findings and recommendations for improvements in internal controls). This is a huge accomplishment, and the credit goes our amazing finance team members Jeff and Kelsey. Jeff’s leadership, experience in public accounting, and collaboration with the auditors allowed him to dig into complex matters and problem solve efficiently throughout the process. Kelsey’s knowledge of the foundation’s operations, her preparation of audit materials, and her hard work throughout the year on day-to-day accounting all helped ensure a clean audit as well.
A clean audit is important because it shows our commitment to financial transparency and accountability, it builds confidence for our donors and partners who count on us to manage their funds, and it helps build our reputation and credibility as trusted stewards who manage financial resources responsibly.
Sarah Harrison
The Launch of Trends
As I reflect on 2024, one of the exciting projects that I worked on was the release of Trends! We hope that reintroducing this social indicators project to the community as an online, up-to-date platform will be a powerful tool to address the pressing needs in our community. Trends has been designed to provide key data points to inform community civic and nonprofit leaders and those that care about the Boulder County community. I hope that Trends is used to guide the work of the community in creating an inclusive, thriving community for all of us that live and/or work in Boulder County.
Severin Lier
Our New Website
Overseeing the process of creating a new website for the foundation was an exciting challenge and a definite highlight for me this year. In a fast-moving world where websites often serve as a first impression for those interested in learning about the work of an organization, it’s important for us to have a strong online presence and clearly define our sometimes-complicated work. Thanks to the launch of a new strategic plan and a modern update to our branding in 2023, we were able to create a clean, simplified website drawing on a strong institutional voice and a fresh visual identity to tell the story of the community foundation in 2024 and beyond. In collaborating with my colleagues, local donors, nonprofit partners, and our longtime design and brand partners at Vermilion, I hope we’ve built a inviting website that supports our work and inspires our community.
Faith Motter
Building Relationships and Providing Great Services
Having joined Community Foundation Boulder County in May of 2024, it has been an incredible experience these past seven months learning the work of the community foundation. My eyes have been opened to the importance of being a local convener for philanthropists, nonprofits, and local government; it’s a magical intersection where real change can happen. What has been most impressive of all is witnessing the personalized support we provide to our fundholders, donors, and nonprofit partners. The relationships matter to us, and we will always go the extra mile to tailor our support to the needs of our community partners.
Sydney Zorensky
15 Forever
With years of experience working with youth, I am constantly inspired by their ability to lead and create meaningful change. Too often, young people are excluded from decision-making processes, even when those decisions profoundly impact their mental health, environment, and overall well-being. What makes the 15 Forever program truly stand out is its commitment to being entirely youth-led. This incredible group of students tackled complex social issues affecting themselves and their peers, and they didn’t just talk about change, they acted.
This year’s cohort broke records, raising $41,100 — the most funds ever for the program. It was heartening to see donors place their trust in these young leaders, empowering them to make impactful decisions. We often call youth “future leaders,” and this program proves they are ready to be leaders now, stepping up and driving change for their peers and our community.
