Dear Community,
We are writing to share that Leslie Sabin, our Vice President for Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing, will be concluding her time with the Foundation, with her last day on February 13. While we will miss her presence, we are equally grateful for all she has brought to our organization and the broader community.
Since joining the Foundation in 2024, Leslie has been a steady, thoughtful, and values‑rooted leader. Her work has spanned financial stewardship, impact investing, operations, and organizational care—and she has approached each responsibility with clarity, integrity, and a deep commitment to strengthening Colorado communities.
Leslie has also been a generous teammate—someone who listens with intention, acts with humility, and brings both strategic insight and warmth to every interaction. Her recent transition announcement reflected this same spirit of gratitude and care, as she shared her appreciation for the partnerships, collaborations, and relationships that have shaped her time here.
As Leslie prepares to step into her next chapter, we are excited for her as she moves towards new possibilities and new opportunities to have an impact.
A Note from President Tom Gougeon
As we share the news of Leslie’s transition, I want to express my deep appreciation for her leadership, partnership, and commitment to our mission. Her thoughtfulness and steady guidance have strengthened the Foundation in meaningful ways. Leslie approaches every challenge with humility and purpose, and she consistently elevates the work of those around her. I am grateful for her collaboration, her honesty, and her willingness to engage fully in the difficult and important conversations that help move an organization forward. Leslie leaves with our full support as she takes time to reflect and step into her next chapter. I hope you will join me in thanking her for all she has contributed—and in wishing her nothing but the very best on the road ahead.
Please join us in thanking Leslie for her leadership, dedication, and the compassion she has woven into our work. We wish her the very best as she begins her next endeavor—and we hope she carries with her the same sense of inspiration and belonging that she has given to so many of us.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Gates Family Foundation
Finally, also in 2023 a total of $410,956 previously committed by Gates to the 
A total of $1,110,956 committed to the 
In 2019, the Community Development program committed $932,500 in strategic grants to 13 organizations and $465,000 in responsive capital grants to 12 organizations. New impact investments supporting vibrant communities in 2019 included a $500,000 MRI to 
Our Focus Landscapes initiative, a key element of our Natural Resources program, underwent a comprehensive review, revision, and re-launch in 2019. This initiative was launched in 2011 to help Colorado achieve landscape-scale conservation through the protection of private lands in specific geographies. A great deal of progress was made in North Park, southeast Colorado, and the San Luis Valley, resulting in more than 200,000 acres of farm and ranch lands conserved, along with their associated ecological values. The strategic review process was done in close partnership with the land trust organizations representing those geographies, providing lessons-learned and an exploration of emerging opportunities. The revised Focus Landscapes initiative will first focus on two geographies: 