Post-News Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, awarded over $70,000 to seven metro-Denver nonprofit agencies that positively impact children, youth and literacy.
Agencies receiving Post-News Charities grants are Colorado Women’s Employment/Education, Denver Art Museum, Jefferson County Library Foundation, The Learning Source, Metropolitan State College, Young Americans Center for Financial Education and YouthBiz.
Throughout the year, Post-News Charities raises money through special events and event partnerships with local nonprofit agencies. All funds raised, as well as matching funds from the McCormick Tribune Foundation, are given to charitable organizations in the metro-Denver area through a grant process. In 2004, over $1.2 million was distributed.
“These are outstanding organizations doing great work in our community,” said Tracy Ulmer, director of promotion and community relations for the Denver Newspaper Agency, who distributed the grant checks during a luncheon. “We are proud to be able to provide such significant funding to these meaningful programs.”
Following are brief descriptions of the organizations and programs being supported by the Post-News Charities grants:
Colorado Women’s Employment/Education (CWEE) prepares single parents and families for long-term, meaningful employment, enabling them to achieve self-sufficiency and end their dependency on welfare. This grant will fund their Basic Skills program for low-income adults.
Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum has the largest and most comprehensive collection of world art between Kansas City and the West Coast, with over 60,000 works of art. They received a grant to fund their Spanish Language Program, which strives to make art accessible and enjoyable to all ages and cultures through Spanish language tours, art stops and community outreach.
The Jefferson County LibraryFoundation provides the extra help the Jefferson County Public Library needs to fulfill its important mission of opening the world of reading for our children; inspiring a lifetime of learning for all; and strengthening freedom through knowledge. This grant will support their Traveling Children’s Library program for at-risk preschool children.
The Learning Source provides opportunities for motivated adult learners and families to attain their educational goals through adult and family literacy, GED preparation and English Language instruction. This grant will help fund their literacy education programs.
Established in 1965 as Colorado’s “College of Opportunity,” Metropolitan State College of Denver is the third largest higher education institution in Colorado and one of the largest public four-year colleges in the country. They received a grant to support their Family Literacy Programs.
The mission of Young Americans Center for Financial Education is to further the economic education of young people so that they will be competent and knowledgeable in managing their financial affairs and may prosper in the free enterprise system. Young Americans received a grant to support their International Towne programs for at-risk youth.
The mission of YouthBiz is to unleash the potential of Denver inner-city teens to invest in themselves and their community through hands-on experience in leadership practice, starting and managing youth-run enterprises, and academic advancement. They received a grant to support their development programs for disadvantaged youth.
The mission of the Denver Newspaper Agency’s community relations division, Post-News Community , is to improve the quality of life through support of programs that benefit children, arts and culture, education and literacy, and the provision of basic human services. Post-News Community accomplishes this through the implementation of various community-giving programs including Post-News Charities and Post-News Season To Share, funds of the McCormick Tribune Foundation; sponsorships by The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News; signature events like the Unique Lives & Experiences and Pen & Podium lecture series; Kids Care, a program designed to teach young people the importance of philanthropy and community service; and the DNA ACTS (Denver Newspaper Agency Assisting the Community Through Service) employee volunteer program.