communityreport.communityfirstfoundation.orgCommunity Benefit Report 2020 – Community First Foundation | Jefferson County, Denver Metro, Colorad

o There’s a phrase from The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy tells her friends, There’s no place like home” that connects me with the year 2020. Never would we have imagined what the word home would come to mean as we reflect on 2020. For Community First Foundation, home is less about a place and more about a state of being – of being in community with others. Of course, there’s the literal translation that home is a safe place, a refuge. In 2020, due to COVID, it also became an office and a classroom. For too many, it also became a thing they risked losing or never attaining because of economic uncertainties. We know this year was unlike any other. In addition to the human toll, COVID also laid bare inequalities. The killing of George Floyd brought about a racial reckoning and protests, demanding a more equitable and just society. A divisive election fueled further political divisions. All of this gave us pause as we rethought about what home and community mean for our work as a community foundation. These challenges taught us many things. They made us realize we are connected in ways we never imagined, and therefore cannot live just for ourselves. When a community discovers what it truly cares about, the result is a profound new power for change. We recognize that if we want to make good happen, we need to connect with people, organizations, and ideas. Only then can we activate and focus on how those collective resources can be used to create real and lasting change. We need partners with a bias towards creative, community-driven solutions who are not afraid to try new things. Most importantly, we need to listen empathetically, relentlessly, and systematically with a lens of equity to understand what success looks like for our communities, especially for our neighbors who feel furthest from the opportunity(ies) they desire. The Jeffco Hope Fund did just what its name describes – it infused hope in those early COVID days when no one seemed to have much hope.” – Jeffco Hope Fund Grantee Community First Foundation emerged from strategic planning in 2020 with a renewed focus on Jefferson County and a mission to create opportunities so that all our communities are thriving. For us, this means re-centering our attention on the communities in Jefferson County where we’ve worked since 1975 when we were originally known as the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation. It also means fostering that feeling of fellowship with others who share common attitudes, interests, or values. It means finding ways to discover the web of interconnectedness that is such a quintessential part of being human. Community, or home, is a feeling that can live in many environments, but regardless of its context or locale, community is when people come together to foster trust, belonging, safety and care for each other. At times, the challenges of 2020 and COVID seemed insurmountable. Yet with our partners, we faced those challenges and began conversations to find solutions. We launched initiatives with hope for rebuilding, reconnecting, and influencing systemic changes so that all communities in Jeffco can thrive. Impossible? No. Are we there yet? Not by a long shot. The only impossible journey is the one never begun, and we are on an incredible journey to nurture community with you. With this energy in motion, we embraced the bumpy, winding road left by COVID and 2020 that continues today. We committed to continued learning with every step and moving forward in a positive direction. And we did it with you. Together, we are community, and we are making good happen. Kelly Dunkin , President & CEO, Community First Foundation Diverse Voices Helping Communities Thrive Inspired Giving Investing for Impact Online Giving Donor-Advised Grants Financial Overview Board and Staff Humberger Toggle Menu Diverse Voices In 2020, COVID and the murder of George Floyd forced a reckoning across America about racial inequity and Community First Foundation doubled down on our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. One of the very first steps we took was to examine ourselves and our organization. We engaged with the National Equity Project (NEP) for intensive anti-racist training with our staff and Board of Directors. With input from NEP, we examined our internal processes, policies and hiring practices. We also created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee to help reinforce the learnings internally and invested in the following organizations and initiatives: Metro Denver Nonprofit Loan Fund to serve BIPOC-led and BIPOC-serving organizations Center for African American Health Soul 2 Soul Sisters Black Resilience in Colorado Chinook Fund Transformative Leadership for Change Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism We recognize this work needs to be transformative, evolving, and ongoing, and that the work does not stop when the media moves on to other stories. Neither does it end when COVID goes away. We recognize the long history of inequity and injustice that has been present in our communities and commit to work to creating a new future where all communities have the opportunity to thrive. As we look to the future, we continue to examine how we can influence diversity, equity and inclusion in partnership with the communities we serve. We believe there are enough resources, opportunities and joy for all communities in Jeffco to have a chance to thrive, and we approach this work with humble hearts. Helping All Communities in Jeffco Thrive Community First Foundation is devoted to radical listening and community-driven solutions to guide our grantmaking. In 2020, we were called in a multitude of ways to support the Jeffco community. Here are a few highlights. Rapid Response Funding Supporting Communities During Crisis In March 2020 we launched the Community First Foundation Jeffco Hope Fund to strengthen and stabilize Jefferson County community organizations responding to and impacted by COVID19. Community First Foundation contributed $1 million into the rapid response fund and 110 donors contributed another $49,800. Initially, our efforts focused on two phases of funding. Round 1 – $970,500 to 92 nonprofits providing direct services to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19. Round 2 – $454,750 to 59 nonprofits that were negatively impacted due to suspended programming, canceled fundraising events and/or shrinking or lack of resources to continue their work during this period of social isolation. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was delivered to first responders, domestic violence shelters remained open, telehealth physical and mental health was delivered, and support groups networked in virtual environments thanks in part because of funding from the Jeffco Hope Fund. In addition, nearly 200,000 pounds of food and more than 128,000 meals were provided to Jeffco families and enrichment programming was provided virtually to the most isolated members of our community through Jeffco Hope funding. Towards the end of 2020, as the pandemic continued, Community First Foundation contributed additional funds and additional programs were funded in 2021. The results of that funding will be included in future reports. TeamUp Jeffco Learning beyond the classroom COVID forever changed student learning as teaching extended beyond traditional school classrooms to homes, living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Many students began experiencing full remote learning or a hybrid learning model of in-person and remote learning. At Moore Middle School in Jefferson County, sixth through eighth grade students struggled to engage during the at-home, remote learning days. While elementary students had the option to attend in-person and with high-school students better equipped with self-navigation skills, middle school students found themselves in a void. Parents and community members recognized their struggle and gathered to problem solve, forming a steering committee. Community First Foundation...