COLORADO SPRINGS — The El Pomar Foundation trustees approved $44,000 allocated to eight nonprofit organizations and government entities in the San Luis Valley at the Foundation’s May Trustees meeting.

Through the Foundation’s grant making process, the following entities were awarded grants:

• Adams State University Foundation, Inc. (Alamosa) — $10,000 for School of Nursing infant and pediatric mannequins; competitive
• CASA del Valle, Inc. (Alamosa) — $5,000 for general operating support; regional merit
• City of Creede — $5,000 for food for youth at the Virginia Christensen multi-use facility; regional merit
• Manassa Saddle Club, Inc. — $2,500 for general operating support; regional merit
• San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society (Alamosa) — $2,500 for general operating support; regional merit
• South-Central Colorado Seniors, Inc. (Alamosa) — $4,000 for Homebound meal delivery service; regional council
• Town of San Luis — $5,000 for Sangre de Cristo Cultural Heritage Center piano; competitive
• Valley Citizens Foundation for Health Care, Inc. (Del Norte) — $10,000 for cottage and geodome homes in the Community Wellness Center.

Adams State University honored the El Pomar Foundation with the 2015 Willis Fassett Jr. Award. President David Tandberg, Ph.D., appreciates their belief in the nursing program.

“Support from the El Pomar Foundation helps us train qualified providers for rural health care," Tandberg said.

Monica Wolfe, Director of grant recipient, South Central Colorado Seniors, said, "We are gratefully thankful. The El Pomar Foundation has been a huge cheerleader for all the non-profits in the Valley, and we appreciate that. The funding will go to meet the needs of our services for our seniors."

Aileen Peek, Executive Director of the San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society said of the $2,500 the group received from the foundation, "The San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society greatly appreciates the donation of $2,500 from El Pomar Foundation. In this impoverished area that money goes to running our no kill shelter near San Luis. Dogs are in dog parks all day, dependent upon weather conditions, and not housed in kennels except at night. Our Society also helps with donations to CatsAlive and refers callers to veterinarians, behavior help and other shelters."

"The Town of San Luis is working closely with several organizations to re-establish the Sangre de Cristo Cultural Heritage Center as a destination point for Coloradans to not only learn the history of the oldest Town in our State but also as a place to experience the current cultural happenings in Southern Colorado, be that music, film, sculpture, painting, etc. The El Pomar Foundation is the latest organization to contribute to this effort, awarding the Town of San Luis $5,000 to go towards the purchase of a Baldwin Grand Piano for the Heritage Center theater. With the purchase of this piano, we are excited to be able to offer a top-quality instrument to attract top-quality musicians to San Luis and bring people from across Colorado to our small Town to experience everything we have to offer," said Teddy Leinbach with the Town of San Luis.

Founded by Spencer and Julie Penrose in 1937, El Pomar Foundation has an established legacy of general-purpose grant making. The competitive process remains the Foundation’s primary vehicle for organizations to receive funding. Also, over the past 87 years, El Pomar has either developed or been entrusted with the stewardship of other funds and presenting merit grants in each region recommended by Trustees and regional council members. Competitive applications are accepted on a rolling basis. In an effort to increase impact and establish connections across the entire state, the Regional Partnerships program was established in 2003. Each of the Foundation’s 11 regional councils advises El Pomar Trustees and recommends grants to help support its communities. The San Luis Valley Regional Council recommends grants in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties.