Advocacy | Partnership | Impact
Impact Report
2024
2024 Total Funding $2,292,016
Youth Advocacy Project – $890,000 (28 organizations)
Environmental Justice Project – $190,000 (6 organizations)
Equitable Access to the Arts Project – $210,000 (8 organizations)
Schecky Youth Wellbeing Initiative – $208,904
Nonprofit Board Leadership Initiative- $63,662
Discretionary Funding – $354,450
Legacy Funding – $375,000
The Youth Advocacy Project champions community partnerships that create equitable opportunities in health, education, and well-being for youth and families to achieve their optimal potential.
The Equitable Access to the Arts Project partners with community organizations to provide vibrant and meaningful arts and culture opportunities for under-resourced youth and adults throughout Northwest Colorado.
The CSFF Environmental Justice Project advances just and equitable practices and policies, influenced by the collective voices of the broader Yampa Valley community, to benefit the local environment and its inhabitants. Addressing inequity is the first step towards rectifying environmental injustices experienced by community with past, present, and future considerations.
The Schecky Youth Wellbeing Initiative expands on CSFF’s enduring dedication to improving behavioral health services and support for youth and families in Routt County. This initiative focuses on developing a comprehensive plan with practical solutions to strengthen mental health systems, created in collaboration with local youth and tailored to their needs.
CSFF Discretionary Funds provide resources to increase capacity building opportunities for organizations. Funding may support systems and trainings that enhance the strength, impact and sustainability of an organization.
Legacy Funding supports organizations and community initiatives of which the founders of the Foundation, Michael and Sara Craig-Scheckman, are invested in lifting up for long-term impact.
The Nonprofit Board Leadership Initiative strengthens nonprofit organizations by enhancing the leadership skills of local boards and their members, ensuring they remain relevant, proactive, and adaptable in an ever-changing environment to collectively serve community needs.
Legacy Funding – $375,000 (9 organizations)
- CO Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (Land Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture)
- CMC – Student Support Services (Holistic Student Support Services)
- Great Plains Foundation (Rhinos Without Borders)
- National Center for Youth Law (Colorado Youth Justice Initiative)
- Queens College (First Generation Immigrant Student Support)
- ReproCollab (Reproductive Health Equity)
- Southern Poverty Law Center (Criminal Justice Reform, Children’s Rights, and Immigrant Justice)
- Steamboat Art Museum (Youth Arts Enrichment)
- Steamboat Mountain School (Wellness Support and the Excellence in High School Laboratory)
Highlights
In addition to our funding projects, CSFF embraces opportunities to create long-term systemic change by working with others to identify solutions to complex issues. Here are just a few of our highlights in 2024.
Schecky Youth Wellbeing Initiative
The Schecky Youth Wellbeing Initiative was launched in 2024 with funding from Michael Craig-Scheckman’s late brother, Richard Scheckman. Rick, who worked with David Letterman for over 30 years, was known as “Shecky” and wholeheartedly believed in the vision that Michael and Sara set forth at the foundation, “to be a catalyst in supporting innovative and collaborative solutions to address complex social, economic and environmental issues.” Upon his death, CSFF received a portion his estate.
Since the inception of CSFF, the Board has dedicated substantial resources to improve behavioral health services and support for youth and families in Routt County. From 2019-2024, in partnership with the Yampa Valley Medical Center (YVMC) and the YVMC Foundation, CSFF invested in a Behavioral Health in the Schools Initiative to help build school-based infrastructure to enhance accessibility and availability of behavioral health services for youth in Routt County’s three school districts. At the completion of the initiative with school-based supports in place, CSFF wanted to reimagine an improved county-wide behavioral health system by developing a comprehensive plan with practical solutions created in collaboration with local youth and tailored to their needs. CSFF is partnering with consultants Gilbert + Chittenden to guide a Community Advisory Group and local stakeholders, called Wellbeing Champions, through the next phase of Youth Behavioral Health in our community with a human-centered design approach. The goal is to find solutions to systemic issues that undermine mental wellness in Routt County and implement those solutions. With Rick Scheckman’s generous gift CSFF established a fund dedicated solely to youth wellbeing in Routt County. Future use of Schecky Youth Wellbeing Initiative funding will be determined at the conclusion of the design-thinking phase in 2025. More information about this initiative can be found under the Resource Tab on our website, or by clicking here.
State-Wide Funder Collaboratives
As a place-based funder, the CSFF Board and staff believe it is our responsibility to represent rural communities on a statewide level. We seek opportunities to advocate for the diverse voices and funding partnerships with statewide funders through initiatives that impact all Coloradans. We are active participants in ReproCollab, which elevates the importance of equitable and quality reproductive health care to support individuals in achieving their life goals, Blue Bear Collaborative, which explores youth mental health needs, solutions, and opportunities in Colorado to develop a consensus-based multi-year implementation plan for addressing high-priority needs and Colorado Safe Futures Fund whose primary objective is to invest in and advocate for efforts that reduce and prevent firearm-related injury and death in Colorado. As CSFF continues to grow, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships with fellow grant makers across the state to enhance our impact and further advance the mission of CSFF.
Support for Nonprofit Workforce
The strength of nonprofit organizations stems from the dedicated individuals who deliver essential programs and services to our community. CSFF is committed to supporting this vital workforce and, in 2024, provided funding to launch a local cohort for WorkLife Partnership, which offers employees unlimited, confidential, and personalized resource navigation. Additionally, through discretionary donations, CSFF supported Yampatika’s staff retreat, fostering team cohesion and improving staff retention. We also funded workshops for the Town of Oak Creek front-line workers, equipping them with tools to enhance resilience and manage stress, promoting better mental health and overall wellness. Furthermore, CSFF awarded a significant year-end grant to Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide (REPS), recognizing their staff’s tireless dedication to the community, with the grant exclusively designated for supporting staff in maintaining their personal well-being.
AI Trainings
As part of the Nonprofit Board Leadership Series, CSFF sought to provide education and resources about Artificial Intelligence (AI) to local nonprofit organizations, and CSFF offered two opportunities to learn about this rapidly evolving technology. The first session gave practical insights into Generative AI to help organizations enhance website content, improve marketing and storytelling efforts and boost overall productivity. The second all-day comprehensive training helped organizations use AI to streamline and optimize the grant writing process and fundraising efforts. Attendees were introduced to a suite of AI productivity tools tailored specifically to nonprofit organizations. With over 75 individuals attending each of these sessions, CSFF has committed to hosting a monthly AI Power Hour in 2025 to allow individuals to share their learnings and applications of Generative AI.
If you are interested in learning more about CSFF, our funding partners, community engagement, or our philanthropic philosophy, please give us a call at 970-879-0148; we would be glad to hear from you.