During the creation of the first Colorado Grants Guide in 1991, the Community Resource Center (CRC) discovered that only 3% of the funds granted by Colorado private foundations were awarded to nonprofits outside the Front Range region. Rural Philanthropy Days was founded in response to that disparity, with the inaugural event held in Grand Junction in 1991.

In 1997, a partnership between the Community Resource Center and the Anschutz Family Foundation was forged to further advance the RPD program. Since then, over a dozen other Colorado foundations have joined in to assist in making RPD a great success in the eight rural regions across the state of Colorado. The Community Resource Center looks forward to celebrating the program's 20th year in 2011.

Civic Leaders and Elected Officials.

In addition to providing an opportunity to connect with your own community's leaders and committed citizens, RPD also helps city and county officials to make connections with rural Colorado's primary investors. As state and local tax revenues remain unpredictable, public leaders can use RPD to connect with dozens of potential philanthropic investors. The funders that support and attend this event have invested nearly $90 million dollars in the rural regions: $78,759,411 through 3745 grants made to public entities in the region (FY04-08). City Councilmembers, County Commissioners, School Board leaders, Mayors, Town Managers and Superintendents all reap tremendous benefit from attending RPD.

"Rural Philanthropy Days is a must-attend event for elected and appointed officials at both the municipal and county levels. Public agencies and nonprofit organizations share a remarkable similarity in their goals for community development, environmental protection and service delivery. Government/nonprofit partnerships will play an ever more important role in meeting the needs of our communities. RPD offers learning and networking opportunities that encourage attendees to explore new ways to form collaborative relationships." -- Steve Randolph. Mayor, City of Woodland Park. Teller County, Heart of Colorado Region.

Funders: Private and Community Foundations, State and Federal Agencies. 

Rural Philanthropy Days is the state's premiere opportunity for funders to connect with hundreds of rural constituents, and with each other.  Discover new community partners in rural Colorado, and explore new opportunities to leverage your resources with other institutions. Come to Rural Philanthropy Days and learn about the region from those leaders who are closest to it -- those involved in the challenges and opportunities, problems and solutions which make each region unique. Funders attending Rural Philanthropy Days will also build direct relationships with nonprofits in the community, thereby helping their own organization advance their grantmaking mission. Program Officers, Agency Directors and staff, Foundation CEOs and Trustees all benefit from attending Rural Philanthropy Days.

“Often, funding organizations do not get the opportunity to interact in a genuine and authentic way with the communities, nonprofit organizations, and people they are fortunate to work with toward achieving the common goal of improving the quality of life for all people in Colorado. This is certainly true for the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. Participating in Rural Philanthropy Days always provides an important opportunity to be introduced to specific regions within the state, and to the good work and needs of the nonprofit organizations and people within those regions. As a funding organization, we have found that attending Rural Philanthropy Days has become an important and effective tool in helping create and maintain personal and professional relationships throughout Colorado.” -- Christopher Robertson, Community Outreach for the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado

“Attending Rural Philanthropy Days is absolutely worth the three days of invested time. As a funder, you will gain critical insights into the region – its economy, social and demographic context – and gain a strong sense of what is next for these communities. You will also help call to action nonprofits, elected officials and others – action to form partnerships, build capacity, and advance their valuable services. You will help strategize about serious opportunities of importance to the region, and enjoy the hospitality and recreation opportunities of the area. Attending Rural Philanthropy Days will pay off in many ways, including making wiser philanthropic investments.”  -- Jeff Pryor, Executive Director of the Anschutz Family Foundation

Nonprofit Professionals and Volunteers. 

Rural Philanthropy Days provides a wide variety of professional development and fundraising opportunities for rural nonprofits. In no other event in the state of Colorado can a nonprofit professional access everything offered by RPD: take part in dozens of nonprofit-specific workshops and trainings, learn about successful collaborations taking place in your own community, build new partnerships across the nonprofit and government sectors, and network network network! Nonprofit representatives attending RPD walk away with stronger skills, better networks, and solid leads for new funding sources.

"One of the most unifying activities among nonprofits in the San Luis Valley is Rural Philanthropy Days. This event is amazing in that it brings funding opportunities to the individual communities, but what impressed me much more is the incredible way it brings together the non-profit organizations and citizens of individual communities across the region to work toward a common goal, proving the power of collaboration. As a result of collaborations rooted in RPD, great things have blossomed: first it was Volunteer Connections, a volunteer center, then four years later it was 2-1-1 Community Link, the Information and Referral Call Center for the San Luis Valley and Southwest Colorado." -- Stephanie Steffens. President, Intermountain First Aid & Safety. ­­Rio Grande County, San Luis Valley Region.

“Helping in the planning of Philanthropy Days allowed me to learn more about the region in which I have been engaged for thirty years. This information provided me an opportunity to share ideas and challenges with other nonprofits and with my Board of Directors. After assessing the opportunities afforded from Rural Philanthropy Days, The Youth Foundation decided to focus our attention on building strengths within our organization and our programs. We are now ready to submit grants, as a result of Rural Philanthropy Days - more than a year later, as a stronger nonprofit. Rural Philanthropy Days also provided an incredible networking opportunity. While it may appear that networking could and should take place whether Philanthropy Days is happening or not, the reality of nonprofits with small staff is not conducive to spending time networking, as duties and tasks take precedence and networking, though necessary for effective community building, becomes secondary. Even engaged, dedicated community members always have more to learn, and Rural Philanthropy Days provides an avenue for learning and teaching." -- Susie Davis. Executive Director, The Youth Foundation. Eagle County, Mountain Region.

"The value and importance of Philanthropy Days has been enormous in southeast Colorado. I know many rural colleagues who have gained confidence and understanding from their interaction with funders. Being appreciated, being informed and being face to face with funders – it is an uplifting experience they never forget. I know, because I hear their comments long after Philanthropy Days have concluded. We all look forward to the next event!" -- Chuck Thompson. President of Colorado Boys Ranch. Otero County, Southeast Region.

A Community Based Event