May 29, 2024

Caring for Colorado’s Packard Fund for Pueblo’s advisory committee conducted a strategic planning process over the past nine months, which included a robust review of the 2020-2024 strategic plan and a comprehensive community engagement process. During our process, we have worked to minimize the impact on our partners and provide updates as they arise. Today we are writing to inform you of a change to one of our current responsive grant cycles.

Informed by an evaluation of our current grantmaking program we have made the difficult decision to discontinue our Community Impact grant cycle. Moving forward, the Packard Fund for Pueblo will operate only one responsive grantmaking cycle per year focused on children, youth, and families. This decision was not made lightly and we acknowledge the unintended consequences for organizations seeking funding.

Over the past four years, 94% of the funding awarded by the Packard Fund for Pueblo has gone to organizations and projects that focus on children, youth, and their families. This includes the Community Impact cycle, in which 79% of all grants awarded also went to organizations and projects that serve these populations. This data helped inform our choice to streamline efforts and move to one larger funding cycle.

With our new strategic plan, the Packard Fund for Pueblo’s grantmaking program will prioritize opportunities that create equity for children, youth, and their families in Pueblo County. The details our new plan will be announced this October. We will launch our responsive cycle with an initial deadline for applications in January 2025. 

In the coming months, foundation staff will contact partners who may be affected by our change in focus. If you have specific questions about the discontinued Community Impact grant cycle, please contact Gina Lopez Ferguson, Director of Place-Based Philanthropy or schedule a phone meeting with her.