A Woman’s Place, Inc. helps to aid victims of domestic violence, including physical and emotional abuse throughout Weld County. Like many nonprofits, it struggles to cover operating expenses. A former Board Member offered to contribute a gift of appreciated stock, but A Woman’s Place did not have the ability or expertise to accept that type of gift. Former Interim Executive Director Eileen Connell said, “We simply didn’t have the sophistication to handle some kinds of donations. It was so frustrating to think about turning away a willing donor. The staff at the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County assisted us with the acceptance and sale of the stock and in establishing an endowment fund.” As a result of establishing this fund, the organization has added the ability to accept future large and complex gifts. Plus, it has now developed a permanent endowment, providing a regular stream of support for A Woman’s Place and leaving the management and reporting to the Community Foundation.

Dick Bond has a unique history with the Community Foundation. He was the first Executive Director and had a significant impact on the growth and success of the organization. He has a keen understanding of the personalized service and local expertise offered by the Foundation, as well as the important role it plays in the community.

It is for these reasons that Dick and Reva Bond recently established a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County. The Reva and Dick Bond Family Fund was created to provide grants that support incentives, processes and programs that improve high school graduation rates and grants to enhance the teaching/learning process in the public schools.

With values instilled in them by their parents, Dick and Reva’s personal and professional lives have been molded by education. Their passion is to see students succeed and to provide them the tools and desire for learning. They would like their fund to be a source for creativity and improvement in Greeley's public education (including public charter schools). These goals are an extension of Reva's previous experience with adult learning and Dick's early partnership in the founding of the Dream Team.

The Bonds are a wonderful example of how you can turn a passion into a legacy through the Community Foundation. They have also chosen to become members of the Community Foundation Centennial Society by including the Foundation in their estate plans. Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, the Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come.

Margaret Brown recently established a Field of Interest Fund at the Community Foundation to support developmentally disabled individuals and programs in Weld County. She has a passion in her determination to help families dealing with developmental disabilities to access community services.

Margaret is a unique, level-headed, professional community advocate, with a knack for business and accounting. She and her late husband, Byron Brown, were the parents of twin developmentally disabled, autistic sons (Mark and Scott) who now in their mid-fifties, live independently in their own apartments in Greeley.

Margaret was one of the individuals who started the ARC of Weld County and served on that board for many years. During that time and continuing after she left, she also served on the board of ARC of Colorado. Margaret was instrumental over the years in advocating for the developmentally disabled on the local level and with the state legislature.

At 88 years young, Margaret is a wonderful example of how life can be lived and how you can turn your passion into a legacy through the Community Foundation.

Judd was an unassuming, dedicated, hard-working, team player with a willingness to do whatever it took to get the job done. He graduated from Northridge High School in 2003 and was an All-Conference lineman on the football team. His talent won him a football scholarship to Black Hills State University at Spearfish, South Dakota. Judd wore #78 on the football field. He loved football, hanging out with his friends, his family and practical jokes.

He was killed on August 16, 2004 as the result of an automobile accident while on his way to Black Hills State for his sophomore year of college. In his memory, two scholarships were established for two seniors at Northridge High School in Greeley, one scholarship for a student from the other Greeley/Evans School District Six high schools and two scholarships at Black Hills State University, in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Judd Fulton's family and friends hope their loved one's spirit will continue to live through a scholarship in his name.

In 1991, a group of interested local volunteers established the Greeley/Weld Senior Foundation for the purpose of “honoring” area senior citizens and their achievements. Since this time, the Foundation has recognized over 50 seniors, distributed thousands of dollars to Greeley/Weld County Senior facilities through grant requests, and provided educational scholarships to University of Northern Colorado students engaged in Gerontology and Recreation studies. In 1998, the Foundation became affiliated with the Community Foundation to gain access to investment management and the ability to accept complex gifts.

The Mildred Hansen Scholarship Fund was established in 1996 by Mildred Hansen, the late publisher of the Greeley Tribune. Mildred Hansen graduated in 1927 from what was then Colorado State Teachers College, later the University of Northern Colorado. After graduation, she worked for her uncle at the Greeley Tribune, and paved the way for many women in a male-dominated field. Ms. Hansen left a bequest to the Greeley Area Foundation, which is now the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County, to establish the scholarships.

The Mildred Hansen Scholarship Fund is the largest scholarship fund at the Community Foundation. Since the Fund was established, it has awarded 298 scholarships totaling nearly $1,100,000. By the terms of Ms. Hansen’s bequest, the scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from high schools in Weld County School District Six. Each scholarship awarded covers tuition and fees (up to $5,000) at any Colorado college or university.

Gladys Hopkins was born in 1908 in rural Weld County. She attended Greeley public schools and graduated from Greeley High School. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Colorado State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Colorado, and did graduate work at the University of Missouri and Colorado State University.

During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Mrs. Hopkins was on the staff of every junior high in Greeley, including the UNC Laboratory School and Greeley/Evans School District 6. She taught at Heath Junior High School, was a counselor at Meeker Junior High School and a counselor and assistant principal at John Evans Junior High School until her retirement in 1974.

Education was always very important to her. She was the only member of her family, including two sisters and a brother, to graduate from high school. After retiring, Mrs. Hopkins became very active in establishing a number of scholarship programs. Her Community Foundation scholarship program is only one of these. For nearly 30 years, she also supported the performing arts in Greeley.

Lynne Hopkins, Gladys’ daughter, was an educator and school administrator in California. She passed away in July of 2001 after a long battle with breast cancer. This fund is named in the memory of Lynne and Gladys Hopkins.

The scholarship was established in 2005 from a charitable gift annuity to provide an opportunity for students to enhance an ability, talent or training need.

 

Kristopher Mansfield decided to join the Air Force to make a difference. He was a Senior Airmen with the 460th Space Communications Squadron and had a reputation for concern and consideration of his fellow Airmen, competitive sportsmanship, community involvement and adherence to all safety standards.

On September 4, 2004 after recently returning home safely from a five-and-a-half month assignment in Iraq, Kris was tragically killed by a drunk driver while on his motorcycle. In his memory, his family established a $500.00 non-renewable scholarship for a graduating senior from any Weld County high school pursuing additional education at a trade school or two-year community college.

Several years ago, Howard and Marjorie Smith donated their Windsor property to the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County. The proceeds of the sale of the property were used to establish the Howard E. Smith Family Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation. At the time, the Community Foundation arranged for the appraisal and sale of the Windsor property, immediately provided the funds from the sale to be used towards the purchase of a new home and established an endowment fund.

The Smith’s preferred starting a fund at the Community Foundation rather than beginning a private foundation for the following reasons:
“We were able to participate in community projects that have been thoroughly evaluated. We have the flexibility to designate some funds for projects of specific interest to us. The balance of our funds are wisely invested by the Foundation to assure a growing fund. Individuals come and go, but the Foundation is there to manage our funds in perpetuity. And best of all, we are completely relieved of the paper work. We believe Weld County is on a threshold of growth in philanthropy because of the basic generous nature of many citizens.”