Celebrating 80 Years - Foundations and Tax Day, 1959, The Internal Revenue Service

While it is well known that nonprofit grant making foundations like El Pomar maintain and grow their assets via financial investments, it is less well known that this means that foundations also pay a considerable sum in taxes each year. In fact, if the Internal Revenue Service were a grantee organization, it would be El Pomar’s sixth highest grantee to date.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1958, Laradon Hall Society for Exceptional Children and Adults

Belief in the power of education and the promise of children have been central components of El Pomar Foundation giving from the beginning, and many of the Foundation’s early grants reflect the compassion Spencer and Julie Penrose had for the young. A grantee since 1952, the Laradon Hall Society for Exceptional Children and Adults was the first charitable organization in the Rocky Mountain region to offer innovative support for a particular group of Colorado’s children—those with developmental disabilities.

El Pomar commits $1 million to Colorado Springs mountain biking facility

El Pomar Trustees have committed $1 million, $100,000 per year for 10 years, to underwrite the City of Colorado Springs’ operational expenses for a world class mountain biking facility.

Celebrating 80 Years - "A Fine Young Man," 1957, Scholarships and Empowerment through Education

Education was important to Spencer and Julie Penrose’s philanthropic efforts, and that is evident in the significant amount of scholarship funding the Foundation has provided throughout its history. Julie Penrose wanted to ensure deserving young men and women who wanted to go to college but could not afford it were provided an opportunity to continue their education. Originally, Mrs. Penrose conducted the interviews personally, granting to fund educations at institutions of higher education throughout the state.

Celebrating 80 Years - Mrs. Penrose and a Place of Spiritual Solace, 1956, Pauline Chapel

The Pauline Chapel was built in 1919 by Spencer Penrose on behalf of his wife. Julie Penrose was a devout Catholic and her interest in charitable giving encouraged the couple to establish El Pomar Foundation as a means to give back to the communities of Colorado. With Mrs. Penrose’s passing in 1956, the Foundation entered a new stage, in which the stewardship of the Penrose legacy transferred from the Penrose’s to Trustees outside of the family.

A Central Peaks Town Hall

Recently, the Central Peaks Regional Council hosted a Town Hall event which used live polling and breakout sessions to ask key community leaders for assistance in determining and prioritizing regional challenges and identify opportunities for philanthropic dollars to assist in addressing those issues.

Volkswagen to return to Pikes Peak Hill Climb with an all-electric car

Volkswagen plans to make its first appearance in 31 years when it returns to the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1955, Nutrition Camp School

One of El Pomar’s five original grantees in 1937 was the Junior League of Colorado Springs for the operation of its “Nutrition Camp School,” which El Pomar continued to support for the next 20 years. Founded by Marjorie Palmer Watt, daughter of Colorado Springs founder William Jackson Palmer, the school provided education and care for neglected and malnourished children. Although the organization closed in 1964, it lives on today in the grant making of the Nutrition Camp School Foundation.

Celebrating 80 Years - A First in the San Luis Valley, 1954, Costilla County Public Health Agency

While the landscape of Costilla County is primarily barren desert, the region is also home to some of the richest historical sites in Colorado. San Luis is the oldest continuously-occupied town in the state and sites throughout the broader San Luis Valley speak to the historical influences of Spain, Mexico, the United States, and the Ute people. El Pomar Foundation made its first grant to the region in 1954.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1953, Geneva National Home

Although Spencer Penrose made his original fortune mining copper, he is often better known for founding and operating the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. While Penrose’s involvement with the hospitality industry and charitable giving are two separate sides of his Penrose legacy, these passions were brought together in the Foundation’s grants to the Geneva National Home in Littleton, which served as a center for recuperation and retirement for hotel employees from around the country.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1952, Sacred Heart Church (Tri-Community)

Julie Penrose’s faith was a well-known element of her life and philanthropic activity, and in 1952 El Pomar Foundation made seven grants to parishes throughout the Front Range. Among these were grants to Mount Carmel Church in Pueblo for the purchase of a school bus, to St. Mary’s Church in Colorado Springs for maintenance of the Hammond organ, and to Sacred Heart Church in Old Colorado City.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1951, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region cares for thousands of lost, abandoned, abused and unwanted pets. An El Pomar grant recipient since 1951, HSPPR provides an important service to vulnerable and often neglected residents of our community.

Students learn from industry professionals

Helping students make informed decisions through meaningful career conversations was the cornerstone mission of an eighth-grade career fair at Morgan County Fairgrounds.

Celebrating 80 Years - Emergency Recovery and Relief, 1950, American Red Cross Pikes Peak Chapter

El Pomar Foundation has a long-standing commitment to support and relief in emergencies. From the purchase of emergency vehicles and computers to funding homeless shelters and supporting celebratory dinners for our hometown heroes, the Foundation has granted to the American Red Cross Pikes Peak Chapter consistently since 1941.

Celebrating 80 Years - 1949, The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

In 1936, what is now the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College opened to massive community praise, with works on display from such renowned artists as Van Gogh, Picasso, Cezanne, and Renoir. To date, the Fine Arts Center is one of El Pomar’s largest grant recipients, promoting valuable art displays and education in the heart of Colorado Springs.

Blog