Palmer Land Trust – Bessemer Farmland Exchange Project

Project Description

To build on work previously funded by the Foundation to support the Bessemer Farmland Exchange project, an unusual coalition of municipal water providers, city planners, and agricultural interests in Pueblo to develop a system to protect valuable farmland by exchanging key parcels in less fertile areas.

Gates funded the 2016 project (via the Rocky Mountain Farmer’s Union) that laid the groundwork for this effort, and, encouraged by the progress made in building a strong coalition, invited a proposal to support this next phase.

Amount

$60,000

Year Awarded

2018

Support Type

Strategic Grant

Strategic Priorities

Natural Resources > Water

Areas Served

Pueblo > Avondale

Website

https://www.palmerlandtrust.org

Term

12 months

Payment Schedule

2018	$60,000

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES – 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

[ Start with reflection on big-picture state of community development in 2019, and tie to Gates’ strategic focus areas. Below is some fodder from your 2019 report to the Gates board. Feel free to edit or cut. A good target for length is about 500 words. NOTE that the list below includes all 2019 strategic grants, capital grants, and impact investments coded to Vibrant Communities focus area holistically — so we may add a few lines from Sue, Lisa, and/or Melissa into the letter. Thank you!]

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 community development impact investments in 2019 included: a $500,000 PRI to Accion/DreamSpring, $500,000 MRI to Greater Colorado Venture Fund, $3 million MRI to Rose Affordable Housing Fund V.

ELEVATION COMMUNITY LAND TRUST: Joined with six foundations and Urban Land Conservancy to launch a new public-private partnership to acquire or develop 700 permanently affordable homes and serve 2,000 residents in five years in Front Range communities from Ft. Collins to Aurora: https://www.elevationclt.org /

EAST COLFAX / SUN VALLEY REDEVELOPMENT: Helped catalyze the Federal and Colfax cloverleaf redevelopment project, which received major investment from Colorado Department of Transportation and the City and County of Denver in 2019,

COLORADO MEDIA PROJECT: Launched the Colorado Media Project, a community-led effort to strengthen public-service journalism across Colorado through collaboration, innovation, and community engagement.

[ The end is a good place to tout anything important that we’ve got on tap so far in 2020. ]

Laia Mitchell, Senior Program Officer – Community Development
Whitney Johnson, Program Officer – Natural Resources and Community Development

2019 Grants and Impact Investments Awarded: Vibrant Communities

Grantee	Amount Awarded	Type	Strategy	Area Served
Alliance for Sustainable Colorado	$30,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Denver > Denver
Bicycle Colorado	$225,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Multi-Modal Access and Infrastructure	Denver > Denver
Center for Community Wealth Building	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Denver > Denver
CityCraft Foundation	$30,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	Denver > Denver
Colorado Forum Fund	$65,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	* Statewide
Colorado Nonprofit Association	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	* Statewide
Colorado Public Radio	$175,000	Strategic Grant	Community Building > Informed Communities	Denver
Colorado Springs Food Rescue	$50,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	El Paso > Colorado Springs
Denver Press Club	$35,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Informed Communities	Denver > Denver
DreamSpring	$500,000	Program-Related Investment	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	* Statewide
DreamSpring	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	* Statewide
First Baptist Church of Denver	$15,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	Denver > Denver
Greater Colorado Venture Fund	$500,000	Mission-Related Investment	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	* Statewide
GRID Alternatives Colorado	$10,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Pueblo > Pueblo
Groundwork Denver Inc.	$40,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Community Planning	Denver > Denver
Guidestone Colorado	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	Chaffee > Salida
Heartbeat Denver, Inc.	$40,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	Denver > Denver
High Country News	$150,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Informed Communities	Delta > Paonia
KUTE, Inc.	$15,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Community Planning	La Plata
Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project	$45,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	Montezuma > Cortez
PGIM Impact Value Partners	$3,000,000	Mission-Related Investment	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Colorado and beyond
Pulliam Community Building Foundation	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	Larimer > Loveland
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation	$97,500	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	Pueblo
Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute	$150,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Denver > Denver
Rocky Mountain Public Media	$325,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Informed Communities	* Statewide
Rose Affordable Housing Preservation Fund V	$3,000,000	Mission-Related Investment	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Colorado and beyond
San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition	$40,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture	Alamosa > Alamosa
Together We Count	$40,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	* Statewide
University of Colorado Healthcare Innovation Fund	$1,000,000	Mission-Related Investment	Community Development > Civic Projects & Leadership	Colorado and beyond
West Colfax Business Improvement District	$60,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Community Planning	Denver > Denver
West Community Economic Development Corp.	$75,000	Capital Grant	Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity	Denver > Denver
West Community Economic Development Corp.	$25,000	Strategic Grant	Community Development > Entrepreneurship	Denver > Denver

EDUCATIONAL EQUITY – 2019 IN REVIEW

[ Start with reflection on big-picture state of education in 2019, and tie to Gates’ strategic focus areas. Below is some fodder from your 2019 report to the Gates board. Feel free to edit or cut. A good target for length is about 500 words. Note that the list below includes all 2019 strategic grants, capital grants, and impact investments coded to Educational Equity as a holistic focus area — so we may add a few lines from Sue and/or Lisa into the letter. Thank you!]

In 2019, Gates Family Foundation’s education program awarded $2,745,750 in strategic grants to 23 organizations and $214,765 in responsive capital grants to seven organizations.

Through our Rural District Capacity-Building program, we joined with Wend Ventures to support local groups in Alamosa, Cañon City, and Durango with facilitation, data analysis, and strategy development to advance big ideas for their schools, students, and communities at large. Our case study, Bridges to Collective Vision, shares what the groups accomplished — and what we all learned in the process, with technical support from Civic Canopy — to share insights for nonprofit partners and philanthropic peers statewide and nationally for working alongside rural communities to strengthen public education and student success.

Gates also joined with national funders to launch Lyra Colorado — an independent nonprofit dedicated to expanding the public innovation zone model that advances educator and family empowerment and accountability. [more on Lyra and C3EN]

[ The end is a good place to tout anything important that we’ve got on tap so far in 2020. ]

Mary Seawell, Senior Vice President – Education
Ana Soler, Senior Program Officer – Education
Abby Schaller, Senior Program Officer – Education

2019 Grants and Impact Investments Awarded: Educational Equity

Grantee	Amount Awarded	Type	Strategy	Area Served
Alpine Achievers Initiative	$25,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Rural Community-Based Programs	Saguache
America Succeeds	$670,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Innovation and Incubation	Denver > Denver
Aurora Community School	$25,000	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Arapahoe > Aurora
Canon City School District	$35,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Rural Community-Based Programs	Fremont > Canon City
Canon City School District	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Rural Community-Based Programs	Fremont > Canon City
CiviCO	$80,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	* Statewide
Clayton Early Learning	$25,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Denver > Denver
Colorado Charter Facility Solutions	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	* Statewide
Colorado Children’s Campaign	$25,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	* Statewide
Colorado Children’s Campaign	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	* Statewide
Colorado Education Initiative (The)	$20,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	* Statewide
Colorado Education Organizing Funder Collaborative (CEO)	$60,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	Denver > Denver
Colorado Succeeds	$5,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Douglas > Highlands Ranch
Colorado Youth Congress	$50,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	* Statewide
Compass for Lifelong Discovery	$9,765	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Garfield > Carbondale
Dove’s Nest	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Dolores > Dove Creek
Empower Community High School	$35,000	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Arapahoe > Aurora
Empower Community High School	$50,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	Arapahoe > Aurora
Forum280	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Denver > Denver
Generation Schools	$60,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	* Statewide
Jefferson County School District	$30,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Systems Reform	Jefferson
Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain	$50,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Arapahoe > Greenwood Village
Keystone Center	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Montezuma > Towaoc
KIPP Colorado Schools	$25,000	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Denver > Denver
Lyra	$151,231	Strategic Grant	Education > Innovation and Incubation	* Statewide
Montessori del Mundo	$30,000	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Arapahoe > Aurora
Moonshot edVentures	$120,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Human Capital	* Statewide
Pagosa Peak Open School	$50,000	Capital Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	Archuleta > Pagosa Springs
Rio Grande Child Development and Family Services	$35,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Rio Grande > Del Norte
RISE Colorado	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	Arapahoe > Aurora
RootED	$20,750	Strategic Grant	Education > Innovation and Incubation
RootED	$500,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Systems Reform	Denver > Denver
Teach For America	$40,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	Denver > Denver
Teach For America	$175,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Human Capital	El Paso > Pueblo Colorado Springs
Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center	$25,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Larimer > Fort Collins
The Wildflower Foundation	$85,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Autonomous Public Schools	* Statewide
Trendlines	$85,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Rural Community-Based Programs	* Statewide
University of Colorado Foundation	$20,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Systems Reform	Denver > Denver
Valley Settlement	$20,000	Capital Grant	Community Building > Education	Garfield > Carbondale
We Are FARMily Center	$25,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Rural Community-Based Programs	Pueblo
Youth Initiative of Adams County	$20,000	Strategic Grant	Education > Advocacy	Adams

NATURAL RESOURCES – 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

[ Start with reflection on big-picture state of natural resources in 2019, and tie to Gates’ strategic focus areas. Below is some fodder from your 2019 report to the Gates board. Feel free to edit or cut. A good target for length is about 500 words. NOTE that the list below includes all 2019 strategic grants, capital grants, and impact investments coded to Natural Resources as a holistic focus area — so we may add a few lines from Sue and Lisa into the letter. Thank you!

In 2019, the natural resources program awarded a total of $1,256,900 in strategic grants to 15 organizations and $255,000 in responsive grants
to five organizations. New natural resources impact investments in 2019 included a $1 million MRI to the Lyme Conservation Opportunities Fund, a $3 million MRI to the Blackhorn Industrial Impact Fund, and a $240,000 PRI to the Clean Energy Credit Union.

WATER

Launched ReStORE, a new strategic partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and others to fund large-scale habitat restoration and stewardship projects across several habitat priorities: https://bit.ly/ReStORE

Partnered with the Water Funder Initiative to include the Rio Grande River in its “Resilient Rivers” fundraising campaign: https://www.waterfunder.org/watercampaign

Co-sponsored two-day convening for 50+ journalists covering Western water issues: https://gatesfamilyfoundation.org/12551-2 /

LAND

Launched Keep It Colorado as a new statewide membership organization for the land trust sector: https://www.keepitco.org /

Supported the protection of Fisher’s Peak, resulting in Colorado’s newest state park near Trinidad: https://bit.ly/Fishers-Peak

[ The end is a good place to tout anything important that we’ve got on tap so far in 2020. ]

Russ Schnitzer, Senior Program Officer – Natural Resources
Whitney Johnson, Program Officer – Natural Resources and Community Development

2019 Grants and Impact Investments Awarded: Natural Resources

Grantee	Amount Awarded	Type	Strategy	Area Served
Adams State University	$40,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	Alamosa
Audubon Rockies	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
Aurora Rotary Foundation, Inc.	$15,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Arapahoe > Aurora
Blackhorn Ventures – Industrial Impact Fund	$3,000,000	Mission-Related Investment	Natural Resources	Colorado and beyond
Central Colorado Conservancy	$50,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Chaffee
City of La Junta	$25,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Otero > La Junta
Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc.	$75,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Ecosystem Services	* Statewide
Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust	$75,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	Routt > Steamboat Springs
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association	$120,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale	* Statewide
Colorado Headwaters Land Trust	$40,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Grand > Granby
Colorado National Monument Association	$20,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Mesa
Colorado Open Lands	$35,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Delta
Colorado State University	$75,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale	* Statewide
Colorado Water Trust	$140,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
Conservation Fund	$75,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water
Crested Butte Land Trust	$70,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Gunnison > Crested Butte
Crested Butte Land Trust	$120,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	Gunnison > Crested Butte
Environmental Defense Fund	$100,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
Hinsdale County School District	$20,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Hinsdale > Lake City
Keep it Colorado	$375,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	* Statewide
Keystone Center	$75,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
Lake County Public Health Agency	$40,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Lake > Leadville
Land Trust Alliance	$50,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	* Statewide
Lyme Timber Company LP – Opportunities Fund	$1,000,000	Mission-Related Investment	Natural Resources	Colorado and beyond
Montezuma Land Conservancy	$113,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	Montezuma > Cortez
Montrose Recreation District	$25,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Montrose > Montrose
Mountain Area Land Trust	$16,900	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building	Park
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation	$250,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale	* Statewide
National Wild Turkey Federation	$200,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale	* Statewide
New Venture Fund	$150,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
North London Mill Preservation, Inc.	$25,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Park > Alma
Palmer Land Trust	$3,000,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Otero
Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust	$2,000,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Alamosa > Alamosa
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation	$50,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Rio Blanco > Meeker
San Luis Valley Great Outdoors Coalition	$10,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Saguache > Crestone
Sedgwick County Organized Recreation	$40,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Sedgwick > Julesburg
The Nature Conservancy	$300,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Land Conservation	Las Animas > Trinidad
Town of Oak Creek	$60,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	Routt > Oak Creek
Trust For Public Land	$85,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	El Paso > Colorado Springs
Windward Fund – Water Funders Initiative	$275,000	Strategic Grant	Natural Resources > Water	* Statewide
Wright Stuff Community Foundation	$10,000	Capital Grant	Natural Resources > Parks and Recreation	San Miguel > Norwood