Regional Partnerships

The Big Picture

With the intent to increase impact and establish deep-rooted connections throughout the entire state, El Pomar created Regional Partnerships to help communities identify and address local needs. The program convenes community leaders into 11 regional councils that advise El Pomar's Trustees and recommend grants to address the greatest needs in their home communities.

The Details

Regional Council members come from all walks of life and represent the business, nonprofit, and public sectors. Each Council member comes to El Pomar with an established record of community engagement and the ability to provide firsthand information about the needs in the local region— they offer the kind of insights that can only come from living, working, and volunteering at a local level. Each Council provides direct grant recommendations to El Pomar’s Trustees, with the potential for a combined annual impact of more than $2 million across the state.

In 2018, Regional Partnerships celebrated 15 years and conducted a strategic evaluation to determine the program’s impact and strengths. The results confirmed Regional Partnerships has improved El Pomar’s ability to effectively serve all Colorado communities— rural funding has increased 109% over the last 15 years when compared to the Foundation’s historical giving. Additionally, the research identified four essential strengths of Regional Partnerships: the network, the commitment of the program to encourage local solutions, the Foundation’s ability to convene, and Trustee and staff presence in the regions. As Regional Partnerships enters its next 15 years, these strengths will guide the program as it continues to improve in its ability to support the development of livable communities to work, play, and stay.

Regional Resources