FORT COLLINS, Colo., June 15, 2018 – More than 350 Larimer County middle and high school students participating in Give Next capped off their school year by awarding nearly $89,000 to 33 Larimer County nonprofits.
With financial support from local businesses, foundations and individuals, students from the Poudre and Thompson School Districts awarded grants to recipients including FoCo Café; Alternatives to Violence; and Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County. Give Next is a partnership of community volunteers and organizations that includes Bohemian Foundation, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, Poudre School District, Thompson School District and the Give Next Advisory Committee.
“Give Next is made possible through the support and participation of so many stakeholders in our community,” said Sara Maranowicz, Bohemian Foundation’s Community Programs Director. “The local nonprofits who share their missions with students, the teachers and volunteers who prioritize this learning opportunity, the community donors who show their confidence in this next generation of leaders—and of course, the Larimer County students who take community causes to heart and make a difference through grantmaking.”
Give Next is a school-based youth philanthropy program designed to provide middle and high school students with experience in philanthropic giving. Through the program, local businesses, foundations and individuals become classroom donors by providing each participating school with $5,000 to award to Larimer County nonprofits. Many of the students from participating schools also complete their own fundraisers to add to the $5,000 grant amount provided by donors. Throughout the year, students design and manage their own grantmaking programs. Students work together to identify community needs; choose a focus area; create their own mission statement; research nonprofits; volunteer; conduct site visits; review grant applications and make funding decisions. At the end of the school year, students award grants to selected nonprofits. Through the process, Give Next enables students to experience the power of teamwork, the impact they can have on their community and the rewards of giving time, talent and treasure.
Currently, 15 middle and high schools in Poudre and Thompson School Districts participate in Give Next. Since the program’s inception in 2012, nearly $315,000 has been awarded to a variety of nonprofits serving Larimer County. Every donor dollar goes directly to student grantmaking. For more information about becoming a Give Next classroom donor or about participating in the program, contact Jodie Riesenberger at 970-221-2636 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Note to editors: Download this news release as a PDF to see the full list of grant recipients.
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FORT COLLINS, Colorado, June 14, 2018 – Fort Collins’ eight-year-old Pianos About Town program will celebrate 100 painted pianos with a special community event on Aug. 2.
The event will take place as part of Bohemian Nights Presents Thursday Night Live, from 7-9 p.m. in Old Town Square, Fort Collins. The celebration will introduce the 100th piano to the community and will feature a special “first song” performed by Hazel Miller Band. The community is invited to the event to learn more about the program’s history, view photos of all 99 pianos and see the 100th piano.
Pianos About Town brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins. Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art.
Scattered among 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins. The whimsical pianos beckon to passersby and invite them to make and listen to music together.
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FORT COLLINS, Colorado, May 9, 2018 – Pianos About Town, a program that brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins, today announced the artists selected to paint pianos in 2018. This summer the eight-year-old program’s 100th piano will be painted, a milestone the community is invited to celebrate with a public event on Aug. 2.
Local artists selected to paint pianos for 2018 are: Chris Bates, Ren Burke, Clint Burkholder, Diana Dellos, Chelsea Emer, Chelsea Gilmore, Mary Harnett, Kyla Novak, Burt Nunnelee, Werner Schreiber, Robin Street, Larry Tucci and Kristen Vohs.
“This season’s artists bring a wide range of experience to the program; a former marine, a teacher, a retiree, and more.” said Ellen Martin, Visual Arts Administrator for Art in Public Places. “Each artist has a unique perspective that is visible in their work.”
Outdoor summer painting will take place May through October underneath the Art in Action tent on the south side of Fort Collins’ Old Town Square.
The Aug. 2 celebration will feature the unveiling of a special 100th piano as part of Bohemian Nights Presents Thursday Night Live in Fort Collins’ Old Town Square. Event details will be released in late June.
Pianos About Town brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins. Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art.
Scattered among 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins. The whimsical pianos beckon to passersby and invite them to make and listen to music together.
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FORT COLLINS, Colorado, April 30, 2018 – Bohemian Foundation today announced that it awarded more than $550,000 to 42 local organizations working to encourage and enable youth to thrive, empower individuals and families on the path toward economic stability, and strengthen our vibrant community. Bohemian Foundation awards Pharos Fund grants twice every year. Since its inception in 2001, Bohemian Foundation has awarded $18,311,700 in Pharos Fund grants to a variety of organizations serving the Fort Collins area.
“We learn more about our community through each Pharos Fund application process,” said Sara Maranowicz, Bohemian Foundation’s Community Programs director. “We appreciate how these grantees are helping our community thrive. Their work identifies and addresses the needs our community faces.”
Pharos Fund is a responsive grantmaking program of Bohemian Foundation that makes awards up to $30,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental units. A committee comprised of Bohemian Foundation board members and community reviewers selects grantees through a competitive application process.
Click here to view the full List of Spring 2018 Pharos Fund Recipients.
Bohemian Foundation will begin accepting applications for the next Pharos Fund round in July 2018. Visit BohemianFoundation.org for more information.
Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grant making programs and special initiatives.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo., April 9, 2018 – Bohemian Foundation today announced that applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2018 Muse grant round. Muse is a responsive, competitive grant program offered by Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs.
Muse, established in 2017, provides support to organizations that have music as their primary focus, or that have a music-centered program. Through Muse, Bohemian Foundation makes awards of up to $20,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations serving Larimer and Weld Counties. Applications are accepted twice per year. Funding requests must align with at least one of Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs goals: to provide youth with encouragement and opportunities to express themselves through music; to help musicians and music-related businesses grow and develop; and to increase performances of live contemporary music.
Bohemian Foundation will accept applications until 11:59 p.m. on April 30.
For more information or to apply for a grant, visit bohemianfoundation.org/music-programs/muse/how-to-apply.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo., March 30, 2018 - Fort Collins’ annual Project Homeless Connect is scheduled to take place on April 13, 8 a.m.-noon. Project Homeless Connect is a one-day, one-stop event that offers a range of free services to hundreds of individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
Project Homeless Connect will take place at Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St. A free breakfast will be available in the morning, and a free lunch will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nearly 40 local nonprofits, government agencies and businesses will provide on-site services. Bohemian Foundation; Homeless Gear; Homeward 2020; Outreach Fort Collins; and Colorado State University Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLiCE) co-produce the event with support from United Way of Larimer County.
Free services this year will include basic car inspection; bike repair; medical screenings; basic dental screenings for adults and children; eye exams; family photos; haircuts; housing information; veterans’ services; ID and legal services; employment services; counseling; government benefits; child care and children’s activities; bus passes; massages; toiletry packages; pet health care; and pet food.
During the event, each participant is paired one-to-one with a volunteer who helps the participant navigate the variety of services available. Last year, SLiCE recruited nearly 400 CSU students and Fort Collins community members to volunteer.
The Project Homeless Connect concept originated in San Francisco in 2004. In 2005, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness launched the National Project Homeless Connect Partnership. Since 2008, more than 200 cities across the U.S., Canada and Australia have adopted the initiative. Fort Collins welcomed its first Project Homeless Connect in 2010. Since then, more than 12,600 individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the Fort Collins community have participated.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo., February 21, 2018 – Bohemian Foundation invites nonprofits to attend information sessions about Muse, a responsive, competitive grant program offered by Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs.
Muse, established in 2017, provides support to organizations that have music as their primary focus, or that have a music-centered program. Through Muse, Bohemian Foundation makes awards up to $20,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations serving Larimer and Weld Counties. Applications are accepted twice per year. Funding requests must align with at least one of Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs goals: to provide youth with encouragement and opportunities to express themselves through music; to help musicians and music-related businesses grow and develop; and to increase performances of live contemporary music.
Information sessions will take place in Fort Collins, Greeley, Denver and Boulder. Dates, times and locations are listed below. Bohemian Foundation will begin accepting Muse applications April 9. For more information or to register for an information session, visit Bohemian Foundation’s website at bohemianfoundation.org.
Music District
639 S. College Ave.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
Zoe's Cafe & Events
715 10th St.
Greeley, Colorado 80631
Sie FilmCenter
2510 E Colfax Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80206
Boulder Creek Room
Boulder Public Library
1001 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, Colorado 80302
Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2001. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bohemian Foundation works to empower citizens and impact communities through its responsive grantmaking programs and special initiatives.
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FORT COLLINS, Colo., January 25, 2018—On Feb. 26, Artspace, a national nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, will make a community presentation to report findings from the affordable creative sector housing and workspace surveys it conducted in Fort Collins.
Last year, Artspace invited individuals, organizations and businesses in the arts, cultural and creative communities to participate in an online affordable housing and workspace survey. Artspace representatives will present results from these surveys from 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Lincoln Center Columbine Room, 417 W. Magnolia St. Light refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 6 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the community.
The presentation will summarize data about how much housing and workspace the local arts/creative community may be able to use and what design features and amenities are desired.
The survey was part of a process the City of Fort Collins, Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority and Bohemian Foundation initiated to help the community assess the feasibility of developing affordable spaces where artists/creatives of all disciplines may live and work and arts/cultural organizations and creative businesses can thrive.
Artspace is the nation’s leader in artist-led community transformation, with 46 projects in operation across the country and another dozen in development, representing a $600 million investment in America’s arts infrastructure. With headquarters in Minneapolis and offices in Denver, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington D.C., Artspace is America’s leading developer of arts facilities. To date, Artspace has completed nearly 2,000 affordable live/work units for artists and their families as well as more than a million square feet of non-residential space for artists and arts organizations. For more information about Artspace visit artspace.org.
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FORT COLLINS, Colorado, January 11, 2018- Pianos About Town, an interactive public art program in Fort Collins, announced today that it is seeking artists or artist teams to paint or artistically decorate pianos in 2018.
The program will offer two different sessions designed to provide resources for potential applicants. Neither session is required in order to apply. During the first session, potential applicants will hear a presentation about the application process and will have opportunities to ask questions. The second session is an open house and application review, during which program staff will work one-on-one with attendees to review their applications and make application recommendations.
The program is looking for diversity in artwork styles and concepts, with a preference for emerging artists and new and exciting ideas. Selected artists will receive an honorarium of $1,000. To apply, artists must submit a letter of intent and concept rendering. The application deadline is 5 p.m. MST on February 12. An Art in Public Places committee selects artists each year. For further information and to apply, visit www.fcgov.com/artspublic/current-competitions.php.
Jan. 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
Carnegie Center for Creativity
200 Matthews St.
Fort Collins
This session will include a presentation at 6:30 p.m. about the application and review process. Handouts will be provided and program staff will be available to answer questions during the rest of the session.
Jan 30, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Carnegie Center for Creativity
200 Matthews St.
Fort Collins
At this drop-in session, staff will be available to sit with applicants one-on-one to review applications and make application recommendations. Staff also will be available to provide general information for applicants who were unable to attend the first information session. Information about other artist opportunities offered by the City of Fort Collins will be available.
Pianos About Town is a public art initiative that provides paid work to local visual artists, gives the public the opportunity to observe these artists work in real time, showcases the work of artists throughout town, and brings opportunities for spontaneous musical expression to the streets of Fort Collins.
The original inspiration for Pianos About Town comes from British artist Luke Jerram, who created a 60-piano installation that toured the world, stopping in New York City in June 2010. Pianos About Town was also inspired by a similar project on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. The first pianos were placed in Downtown Fort Collins during the 2010 holiday season. This is the eighth season for Pianos About Town.
Pianos are acquired through donations made by community members looking for a new home for their used instruments. Pianos are picked up, free of charge, from their previous homes and brought to a storage area where they are cleaned, tuned, prepped for painting, and readied for the outside elements. After that, the painting begins. Selected local artists spend approximately two weeks painting their piano in downtown Fort Collins, outdoors in a public location when weather permits. Once painted, each finished piano enters into rotation at Pianos About Town locations throughout Fort Collins. Area businesses play a key role in the success of the project by “adopting” the painted pianos and covering them during inclement weather.
Pianos About Town started in 2010 as a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program.
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Bohemian Foundation today announced that Pharos Fund is now accepting applications for the Spring 2018 grant round. Pharos Fund is a responsive grantmaking initiative of Bohemian Foundation’s Community Programs. Bohemian Foundation is a private family foundation based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization or a governmental unit serving a charitable purpose. Private foundations, type III non-functionally-integrated supporting organizations, and programs and projects under fiscal sponsorship are ineligible to apply to Pharos Fund.
Applicants do not need to be headquartered in Fort Collins to receive funding. However, applicants must serve clients within the Poudre School District boundary or have a direct impact on individuals in the grantmaking area.
Bohemian Foundation will accept applications until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 8.
To apply for a grant, visit bohemianfoundation.org/pharos-apply
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