Meet Our Colorado Wildfires Recovery Fund Grantee Partners
The Colorado Wildfires Recovery Fund provided funding to organizations assisting survivors to rebuild and recover from devastating wildfires.
Grand Foundation received $194,840 to build organizational capacity for long-term recovery. The grant will help fund a disaster coordinator for the long-term recovery group and support the disaster case management process. Additionally, it will enable Grand Foundation to hire a liaison who will help with volunteer and construction coordination.
Impact on Education Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools was awarded $309,686 to hire four Mental Health Advocates (MHAs) to be deployed in the Boulder Valley School District’s seven schools most directly affected by the Marshall Fire in December 2021. CDP collaborated with other local funders on this project to meet the needs of children, educators and families in the area.
Impact on Education received a second $441,000 grant to expand this program with a total of nine MHAs and the expansion of “wellness centers” into all five high schools in the district.
Marshall ROC (Restoring Our Community) received $250,000 to provide the Marshall Fire Recovery Center in a centralized location to expedite the access and delivery of disaster-related services and resources. The center will house Recovery Navigators, a public-private partnership providing disaster case management support to fire survivors in Superior, Louisville and Unincorporated Boulder County as they navigate the complexity of their recovery. The center will also provide space for mental health and technical professionals and help facilitate coordination and collaboration among local, national and governmental organizations.
National Fish and Wildlife Federation was awarded $250,000 to help communities restore natural resources, particularly river and stream corridors; water quality and essential wildlife habitat significantly affected by the 2020 Colorado wildfires. It will include areas in Grand County damaged considerably by the East Troublesome and Williams Fork fires. The project will also assist preparation and mitigation efforts in other areas of western Colorado currently without active forest management activities.
The Nature Conservancy received $100,000 to build local capacity for climate-forward reforestation of the Calwood and Cameron Peak burn scars. Wildfires pose a tremendous threat to our forests, water, and infrastructure, and reforestation is essential in reducing these impacts on surrounding communities. The Nature Conservancy will build the capacity for reforestation by a) evaluating gaps in seed stock and prioritizing collection areas, b) creating a seed tree network, and c) training land managers in native cone collection. This project directly addresses the need for building resilience and preventing devastation in the face of climate change and subsequent disasters.
$60,000 of a total grant of $250,000 went to the Disaster Leadership Team to support expanding the capacity for long-term recovery in disaster-affected communities in Colorado. The DLT team provides mentorship and support to long-term recovery groups and others engaged in community-led recovery from disaster.