The Buell Foundation believe in the power of collaboration to create lasting change in Colorado. We invest in programs that help children thrive and we are committed to supporting quality improvements and meaningful evaluations. Our goal is to partner with outstanding organizations, especially those helping underserved communities, to strengthen the systems that support children.

Our funding strategy focuses on two primary areas of interest:

• Early Childhood Education and Development

• Comprehensive Sex Education

Currently, our top priority is supporting programs that aid the education and development of children from birth to age five. In the last fiscal year, over 90% of our grants were awarded in this category. Additionally, we prioritize funding programs in rural Colorado, with more than 65% of recent grants going to communities outside the Denver metro area. Most grants range from $10,000 to $50,000.

Grant types we prioritize:

• Program/project support and/or planning

• Operating support

• Technical assistance

• Capital improvements (limited child care programs)

Attributes we prioritize:

• Organizations/projects serving rural or underserved populations (e.g., low-income families, teen parents, communities of color, etc.) where there are fewer individuals and institutions providing financial support

• Organizations/projects with evidence of engaging community members to inform project priorities and best meet community needs (e.g., a parent advisory board, focus groups with local families, etc.). This includes collaboration with local stakeholders, such as the region’s early childhood council, a family resource center, the school district, and/or elected officials

• Projects that leverage public funding as sustainable revenue sources (e.g., the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program and Universal Preschool Program)

• Organizations with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement

We have three funding cycles each year (January, May, September), and we are also an annual grant maker.