What did we know in 1999? We knew that no one could possibly know what the future would hold, in terms of needs and opportunities in Boulder County. But we knew it would be a good idea to be ready.
More than 6,200 of you agreed, and helped fund The Millennium Trust in 1999—inspired by the creative opportunity of a new century and what we can all do to make Boulder County a better place. This year we’re celebrating a milestone—more than $1 million total granted from The Millennium Trust. The Community Foundation knew such a fund could make a difference, and we’ve made smart investments from it over the years, such as an $11,000 grant in 2001 to Intercambio: Uniting Communities. Intercambio strives to bridge communities by teaching English classes for adult immigrants and offering training on life skills and citizenship.
“The grant from the Millennium Trust was a game-changer for Intercambio. We had just started the program about a year earlier and had served 150 students in the first year, but finding funding for a new program was extremely challenging and frustrating. We knew that the potential for growth was tremendous, but with no funding the potential was squashed,” said Lee Shainis, Co-founder.
“I remember seeing the RFP, and it was something about building bridges in our community, and I thought it was written for us! Getting that funding helped us gain the ability to grow our program. It was a shot of confidence for me and our other co-founder, and it strengthened our financial statements and made us less risky for other funders. Since then, we’ve raised around $6,000,000 and served 13,000 people in Boulder County.“
Please support the work of The Community Foundation, with your gift today.
