El Pomar Foundation Allocates $575k in Funding in Response to Marshall Fire
On January 3, 2022, El Pomar Foundation’s Trustees approved $575,000 in grant funding to support immediate and ongoing relief efforts related to the Marshall Fire that has devastated Boulder County. With nearly 1,000 homes and businesses destroyed, and others damaged, the fire has become the most destructive in Colorado history in terms of homes lost.
Up to $500,000 has been allocated from El Pomar’s general fund to support those nonprofit organizations and agencies providing emergency aid and critical service restoration to the communities impacted. In addition, up to $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, may be granted from El Pomar’s Freda Hambrick and Sally Beck Funds, which support animal welfare and assistance, as well as equine rescue and care.
Of these allocations, $276,000 has already been granted to the American Red Cross in support of their disaster relief operations, Community Foundation of Boulder County for their Boulder County Wildfire Fund, Mental Health Center of Boulder County for community mental health needs, Sister Carmen Community Center for their emergency assistance program, and a number of other local relief funds and centers, health organizations and animal/equine rescues, pantries and societies. In addition, the Future Arts Foundation has received a grant for student musical instrument replacement. Grants from this allocated funding will be provided on a rolling basis over the course of the coming weeks and months as needs, initiatives and organizations continue to be identified.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking to see yet another major fire cause such destruction in our Colorado communities,” said Kyle H. Hybl, El Pomar President and CEO. “With critical services so deeply impacted or closed, and so many people displaced, the effects on Coloradans will be felt for years to come. Our hope is that grants from El Pomar can help further bolster and compliment the efforts underway to make these communities whole again as soon as possible.”
El Pomar’s Wildland Fire Fund, which assists with emergency needs of volunteer firefighting agencies and first responders, may also be activated to help local departments with replenishment of firefighting tools, PPE, and other equipment, as well as ongoing response and readiness needs.
Since its inception in 2002 in the wake of the Hayman Fire, the Wildland Fire Fund has provided more than $6.2 million in grants to a variety of volunteer departments around the state, including fire protection districts and rescue and first response authorities, as well as emergency service agencies like American Red Cross and food banks. Grants support wildland fire disaster relief, rural firefighting readiness, and mitigation efforts, among other needs, all across Colorado.
Support from the Wildland Fire Fund has aided relief in response to the Waldo Canyon, Black Forest, Cameron Peak, East Troublesome and Pine Gulch fires, among others. It has also supported National Forest Foundation with reforestation efforts following the Grizzly Creek Fire. As the wildland-urban interface becomes an even greater factor in Colorado’s evolving connection between human development and undeveloped wildland, preparedness for the state’s firefighting and response teams will continue to be a critical need. More information about this fund can be found at www.elpomar.org/grant-making/el-pomars-funds/.