Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
Featured Stories
WLF Urges Tenth Circuit to Declare Colorado's Rental-Car Fee Preempted Under Federal Law
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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WLF Urges Tenth Circuit to Declare Colorado's Rental-Car Fee Preempted under Federal Law
"Colorado's fee targets airport auto rentals, undermining Congress's intent to protect interstate air commerce from unfair burdens."
--Cory L. Andrews, WLF General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation
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Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to reverse a district court decision and strike down Colorado's $3-a-day "Congestion Activity
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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WLF Urges Tenth Circuit to Declare Colorado's Rental-Car Fee Preempted under Federal Law
"Colorado's fee targets airport auto rentals, undermining Congress's intent to protect interstate air commerce from unfair burdens."
--Cory L. Andrews, WLF General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation
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Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to reverse a district court decision and strike down Colorado's $3-a-day "Congestion ActivityFee" on short-term vehicle rentals as preempted by federal law. WLF contends that the fee disproportionately burdens airport commerce, violating the Anti-Head Tax Act's prohibition on state-imposed levies that are not uniformly applied to airport sales or services.
The case stems from a lawsuit by the American Car Rental Association challenging a 2024 Colorado law imposing the fee to fund Colorado's unrelated pet transit projects. At least half the State's rental car transactions occur at airports. Rejecting ACRA's preemption argument, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado upheld the fee. ACRA has appealed that ruling to clarify the scope of federal protection under the statute.
In its amicus brief urging reversal, WLF argues that the fee's disproportionate burden on airport rentals contravenes the statute's text, structure, and legislative history, all which aim to prevent states from unfairly burdening airport commerce. The district court's misinterpretation renders key statutory provisions superfluous and flouts established preemption principles, risking a chilling effect on interstate travel. WLF's brief asks the appeals court to restore Congress's intent and protect the free flow of air commerce.
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2025/09/16/communicating/wlf-urges-tenth-circuit-to-declare-colorados-rental-car-fee-preempted-under-federal-law/
[Category: Law/Legal]
Asthma & Allergy Foundation: September Asthma Peak Is Here
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issued the following news release:
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The September Asthma Peak Is Here
Spike in asthma-related hospitalizations highlights need for asthma management programs
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A perfect storm of factors comes together to make September the most challenging month of the year for controlling asthma. Kids going back to school, the beginning of flu and respiratory illness season, mold counts going up, and the height of weed pollen season all converge in September, leading to increased asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
"Between
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issued the following news release:
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The September Asthma Peak Is Here
Spike in asthma-related hospitalizations highlights need for asthma management programs
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A perfect storm of factors comes together to make September the most challenging month of the year for controlling asthma. Kids going back to school, the beginning of flu and respiratory illness season, mold counts going up, and the height of weed pollen season all converge in September, leading to increased asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
"Between9-11 people die from asthma each day," said Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). "Effective asthma management can help. No one needs to die from asthma. For people with asthma, focusing on strategies to manage and control their asthma is especially important this month. Have an up-to-date asthma management plan, a good supply of asthma medicines, and take them as prescribed. It's also important to manage allergies and limit exposure to triggers like weed pollen, which can worsen asthma symptoms."
The September asthma peak typically starts in children first as they return to school. In school they are exposed to communicable diseases such as colds, flu, RSV, and COVID-19. Many school buildings are in poor condition and have poor indoor air quality and even mold -- known asthma triggers.
Weed pollen and outdoor mold counts are typically high in September, contributing to the asthma crisis. Hurricanes and wildfires can worsen an already difficult respiratory landscape by exposing people to additional air pollution, stress, and irritants. Weather changes like extreme heat and humidity, thunderstorms, and the later transition to cooler fall temperatures can also aggravate the airways.
But, there are steps people can take to manage and control asthma in September and beyond:
* Schedule an appointment with your doctor or asthma specialist. Talk about your current symptoms, medicines, and triggers. Talk with your doctor about your Asthma Action Plan.
* Take your asthma and allergy medicines as prescribed. Make sure you have enough on hand and get your refills done on time. If you start to have asthma symptoms, follow your asthma action plan.
* Get your vaccines. They take about 2 weeks to take effect in your body, so get them as soon as they are available. You need a new flu vaccine and new COVID-19 vaccine every year. Talk with your doctor about these and other vaccines you need.
* Wash hands often and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose during cold and flu season. Stay away from people who are sick as much as possible.
* Wear a mask. When respiratory illnesses are spreading, wear a good-fitting N95 mask in crowded indoor spaces. Also wear N95 masks if wildfire smoke is in your area or if you are cleaning up after a natural disaster or flood. Masks can also help if you have pollen or mold allergies.
* Improve your indoor air ventilation and filtration. Replace the air filters on your HVAC system as recommended. Use portable air cleaners in bedrooms. Use exhaust fans to vent humid air out of your living spaces.
* If you are allergic to ragweed or mold, try to limit your exposure to these allergens.
* Take care of your health. Adequate sleep and water, a healthy diet, and exercise are important to reduce stress.
There are also focused asthma management resources and education that can help at a state level. The CDC's National Asthma Control Program (NACP) supports schools and state health departments with proven interventions that improve asthma outcomes in 29 states and territories. Thanks to support from NACP, asthma deaths dropped by nearly half (1999-2018). Many state programs report up to an 80% reduction in asthma-related ER visits. NACP provides critical support to states working to improve the quality of asthma treatment and management.
While the President's 2026 budget does not include continued funding for the CDC's NACP, AAFA is calling on Congress to continue funding this critical program. A key Senate committee included NACP funding in its budget, and its House counterpart did the same. Now, it's time for Congress to pass the budget that includes NACP. If this funding is not continued, federal support for state asthma management programs will end on September 30th.
"Many state asthma programs depend entirely or primarily on support from the CDC to operate," said Melanie Carver, chief mission officer at AAFA. "If this funding ends, critical asthma programs that get results - like fewer missed days of school and work and reduced asthma-related ER visits - will also end. Congress must take action to save this program. Now, during the peak time for asthma emergencies, is the perfect time to send a message that federal support for state asthma programs matters."
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Resources:
For more information about the September Asthma Peak, visit: https://aafa.org/asthmapeak
To download a sample Asthma Action Plan, visit: https://aafa.org/actionplan
For more information about the CDC's National Asthma Control Program, visit: https://aafa.org/advocacy/key-issues/federal-funding/national-asthma-control-program/
English and Spanish Asthma Action Plans
About AAFA
Founded in 1953, AAFA is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease for people with asthma, allergies, and related conditions through research, education, advocacy, and support. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases, such as food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Through its online patient support communities, network of regional chapters, and collaborations with community-based groups, AAFA empowers patients and their families by providing practical, evidence-based information and community programs and services. AAFA is the only asthma and allergy patient advocacy group that is certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit: aafa.org and kidswithfoodallergies.org
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Original text here: https://aafa.org/the-september-asthma-peak-is-here/
Opening of Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, Brings Increased Access to Pediatric Specialty Care Services in Wicomico County
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Sept. 16 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Opening of Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, Brings Increased Access to Pediatric Specialty Care Services in Wicomico County
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SALISBURY, Md. (Sept. 15, 2025) - Children and families in Wicomico County and the surrounding area now have a new, convenient option for their pediatric healthcare needs, with the opening of Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, a new 4,000-square-foot specialty care location in the heart of the community.
"Ensuring that children have access to high-quality care is
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JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Sept. 16 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Opening of Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, Brings Increased Access to Pediatric Specialty Care Services in Wicomico County
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SALISBURY, Md. (Sept. 15, 2025) - Children and families in Wicomico County and the surrounding area now have a new, convenient option for their pediatric healthcare needs, with the opening of Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, a new 4,000-square-foot specialty care location in the heart of the community.
"Ensuring that children have access to high-quality care iscritical to the overall health and well-being of any community, and this new specialty care location reflects our commitment to providing world-class care that is convenient to where children live, go to school and play," said Meg Frizzola, DO, Chief Medical Officer for Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley.
The state-of-the-art specialty care clinic will offer more than a half-dozen pediatric specialty care services, including cardiology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, orthopedics, radiology, urology and neurology.
Patient families can now make appointments for cardiac care, with other service lines scheduled to begin seeing patients over the next several months as part of a phased go live.
"Our vision to create the healthiest generations of children challenges us to think broadly about where and how we expand our services to make the greatest impact on the health of children," said Shubhika Srivastava, MD, Chief of Cardiology for Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware. "Our cardiology team is proud to be the first to provide care in the Salisbury location, and as other services come online, we will together continuously elevate the level of care for families in this community."
Nemours Children's Health, Salisbury, is the organization's first specialty care location in the state of Maryland and will leverage the industry leading expertise and support of Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, in Wilmington. The hospital is rated as a top 10 children's hospital in the Mid-Atlantic region, with national rankings in nine specialties, including top 10 rankings in cardiology & heart surgery and orthopedics based on the U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Best Children's Hospitals rankings.
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/nemoursspecialtycaresalisbury
Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida, Establishes Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center with World-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Shawn C. Standard, MD
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Sept. 16 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida, Establishes Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center with World-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Shawn C. Standard, MD
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ORLANDO, Florida (Sept. 16, 2025) Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida, announced the creation of the Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center, and welcomed Shawn C. Standard, MD, to the orthopedic team.
Dr. Standard serves as Chief of the Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center. Orthopedic surgeon
... Show Full Article
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Sept. 16 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida, Establishes Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center with World-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Shawn C. Standard, MD
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ORLANDO, Florida (Sept. 16, 2025) Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida, announced the creation of the Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center, and welcomed Shawn C. Standard, MD, to the orthopedic team.
Dr. Standard serves as Chief of the Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center. Orthopedic surgeonJason Malone, DO, will be Assistant Director of the center.
"Dr. Standard is well known for advancing care and innovation, shifting the treatment paradigm for children with limb deformities," said John Lovejoy, MD, Chair of Orthopedics for Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida. "His surgical expertise and vision will drive clinical excellence for the children and families we serve in Central Florida and beyond."
The Nemours Children's International Limb Correction Center provides an advanced level of care for pediatric patients with congenital limb deformities, complex joint reconstruction, and limb length discrepancies and abnormalities, the treatment of which can sometimes require multiple procedures and months-long stays for follow-up and physical therapy. The dedicated, multidisciplinary team of surgeons, as well as physical and occupational therapists and specialists, will collaborate to ensure the most effective treatment. This approach ensures the delivery of personalized, comprehensive care tailored to each patient's specific needs
Dr. Standard brings extensive experience in pediatric orthopedics, limb lengthening, limb reconstruction, and deformity correction to Nemours Children's. He previously served as head of pediatric orthopedics at the International Center for Limb Lengthening, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, and has been a pediatric orthopedic surgeon since 2001. Before his tenure at Sinai Hospital, he was a staff physician and fellow in the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics at Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville. He is actively involved in medical innovation and research, having co-developed several medical devices and apps, including the WishBone external fixation system, the Smart Taylor spatial frame, the Precice intramedullary lengthening nail, the LolliPOP locking pediatric osteotomy plate system, and the Bone Ninja Sensei and Multiplier apps. He has received numerous awards, including the Maryland General Assembly Innovator of the Year in 2014.
"We enthusiastically welcome Dr. Standard to the Nemours Children's Health orthopedic team," said Dr. Malone. "His drive and experience with limb deformities will enhance the already high-quality care that our patients receive here at Nemours. This new center is just the beginning of that forward progress."
The Center, now seeing patients from across the country and internationally, will eventually be located in a new 75,000-square-foot facility at the hospital, to be completed in 2028. This state-of-the-art patient care center will house Nemours Children's rapidly growing orthopedics division, as well as a new Gait and Motion Analysis Lab, the first and only accredited Gait and Motion Analysis Lab in Florida. The Center is the first fully dedicated limb deformity correction and limb lengthening center at Nemours Children's Health.
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/LimbCenter
Funding Education Opportunity: How States are Reacting to the New Federal Tax-credit Scholarship
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 16 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Sept. 15, 2025:
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Funding Education Opportunity: How states are reacting to the new federal tax-credit scholarship
Plus: The D.C. scholarship program, and school choice news from Kentucky and Wyoming.
By Jude Schwalbach, Senior Policy Analyst
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text), passed this summer, included the Educational Choice for Children Act (https://www.federationforchildren.org/national-school-choice/), the first federal tax-credit scholarship
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 16 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Sept. 15, 2025:
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Funding Education Opportunity: How states are reacting to the new federal tax-credit scholarship
Plus: The D.C. scholarship program, and school choice news from Kentucky and Wyoming.
By Jude Schwalbach, Senior Policy Analyst
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text), passed this summer, included the Educational Choice for Children Act (https://www.federationforchildren.org/national-school-choice/), the first federal tax-credit scholarshipprogram. The new law allows individual taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 per year to an approved scholarship-granting organization, which is typically a nonprofit that receives donations and uses the funds to provide tuition assistance to students. While taxpayers can contribute to any scholarship-granting organization, only students residing in states that opt into the program will be eligible to receive a scholarship. The law also specifies that to be eligible, a scholarship recipient's family's income must not exceed 300% of their area's median gross income.
Scholarship-granting organizations have yet to determine the amounts they'll offer, but recipients will be able to use them to pay for approved education expenses, such as private school tuition, tutoring, and school uniforms. Moreover, many of the program's details are still in flux because federal lawmakers have left a significant amount of discretion to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to establish rules governing the program.
The letter of law appears to make students in traditional public schools or charter schools eligible. They could use "the funds to pay for items such as tutoring costs, test preparation courses, exam fees, internet services, and special-needs education," the American Enterprise Institute's Ian Rowe and Democrats for Education Reform's Jorge Elorza argued.
Until the program's rules-making process is finalized, many governors are likely to be hesitant about committing to participation. According to Education Week, many states will "await federal rules and guidance clarifying the provision" before making a decision on whether to participate.
To date, only Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) have clearly announced plans to opt into the program, while Oregon's Gov. Tina Kotek (D), New Mexico's Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), and Wisconsin's Gov. Tony Evers (D) have said they'll opt out of it.
While there is no guarantee that they will participate, based on governors' public statements and analyses of them by EdChoice and ExcelinEd, it appears that 26 governors support school choice policies, and 14 governors have outright opposed them. Table 1 summarizes the stances of governors on school choice policies nationwide.
Table 1: Governors' School Choice Stances, Various Sources (https://reason.org/education-newsletter/how-states-are-reacting-to-the-new-federal-tax-credit-scholarship/)
The decision by North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) to opt into the federal tax-credit scholarship program could be a harbinger of what's to come in state governments that are divided over school choice. When Gov. Stein announced his intention to opt North Carolina into the federal tax-credit program, he also vetoed a state-level proposal that would have established a private school choice program, calling it unnecessary in light of the federal program.
This is because the new federal tax-credit scholarship has created a dilemma for staunch opponents of school choice programs. As the Fordham Institute's Mike Petrilli explained:
"Will Democratic leaders opt their states into the new federal school choice program, allowing families to accept scholarships that are funded by charitable donations from taxpayers nationwide--scholarships that don't cost their state a penny, and therefore can't be said to be taking any money from their public schools?
Or will they bow to the demands of the teachers' unions and bar the schoolhouse door instead, creating a grand opportunity for GOP candidates running against them?"
National polling by EdChoice and Morning Consult found that 84% of parents supported school choice policies. Moreover, school choice policies are supported by 78% of Black parents and 83% of Latino parents.
Even if governors choose to opt out of the program, it's not clear that the buck would stop with them in every case. The federal law states that decisions to participate must be made by a state governor or "by such other individual, agency, or entity as is designated under State law to make such elections on behalf of the State with respect to Federal tax benefits."
Conflicts are likely to arise when state leaders disagree about who has the authority to opt in or out of the program, especially in states like Arizona, where the governor opposes school choice policies, but state legislators and agencies support them. This could lead to significant jousting between state officials in the years leading up to the program's launch in 2027.
However, much of this will be determined by the Department of the Treasury's rulemaking. Governors typically opposed to school choice could be willing to opt into the program if the agency's rules let them impose significant regulations on participating private schools or target the funds to students enrolled in public schools.
What to watch
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced House Resolution (H.R.) 5181, which would reauthorize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, the federal city's private school choice program, for another seven years. Since its launch in 2004, more than 12,000 low-income students in the District of Columbia have benefited from the program, receiving scholarships to pay for private school tuition. During the 2025-26 school year, elementary and high school students can receive scholarships valued at up to $10,000 and $15,000, respectively.
The Kentucky State Supreme Court is set to hear arguments this month about whether the state can fund charter schools. Since 2017, charter schools have been legal in Kentucky, but have lacked a funding mechanism. House Bill 9 was passed in 2022, which would let state and local education dollars follow students enrolling in charter schools. However, a Franklin County Circuit Judge ruled the law unconstitutional, stating that it would "establish a separate class of publicly funded but privately controlled schools" and create a "separate and unequal" system.
Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher denied the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Wyoming's new private school scholarship program. Eligible recipients could use their $7,000 scholarship to cover a range of approved educational expenses, including private school tuition and tutoring.
Recommended reading
Risk Sharing: The Student Loan Reform Whose Time Has Come?
Preston Cooper at the American Enterprise Institute
"Requiring institutions to shoulder a portion of student loan risk would realign their incentives. Rather than maximizing student loan volume in any way possible, institutions would seek to disburse student loans only when they have a reasonable expectation that the loan will be repaid. While this would save taxpayers money, the primary beneficiaries would be students, who would face less pressure from institutions to take on debts they cannot afford. Going forward, lawmakers should keep in mind risk sharing as a tool for higher education accountability."
COVID Worsened Long Decline in 12th-Graders' Reading, Math Skills
Greg Toppo at The74
"The results, released Tuesday by the U.S. Education Department, are 'sobering,' said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. He noted 'significant declines in achievement' among the lowest-performing students going back even before the pandemic. In one particularly grim indicator, a larger percentage of the Class of 2024 scored in the tests' 'below basic' level in both math and reading than in any previous assessment dating back decades."
Here Comes "The Big Shrink"
Marguerite Roza, Ph.D., at School Business Now
"Nationally, we can expect a 0.5% decline in enrollment per year. Some districts will be hit much harder. Over the next decade, Los Angeles Unified will lose about a third of its enrollment. None of this should be a surprise. When enrollment is down in the youngest grades, it means there are fewer students in the pipeline. Shrinking is hard. But it doesn't have to erode systems and hurt students. With a strong plan, leaders can approach shrinking as a path toward a smaller, stronger, more nimble school system that better serves its remaining students."
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Jude Schwalbach is a senior education policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/education-newsletter/how-states-are-reacting-to-the-new-federal-tax-credit-scholarship/
Denver Foundation: Awareness to Action
DENVER, Colorado, Sept. 16 -- The Denver Foundation issued the following news:
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Awareness to Action
These are excerpts from Chapter 4 of our book, "A Century of Impact: The Denver Foundation's First 100 Years." It offers a glimpse into the history of the foundation, highlighting our ongoing journey to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Read other excerpts from Chapter 4 here (https://denverfoundation.org/2025/02/awareness-to-action/).
Looking Inward
In the mid-2000s, The Denver Foundation continued to support diverse organizations and communities but recognized that
... Show Full Article
DENVER, Colorado, Sept. 16 -- The Denver Foundation issued the following news:
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Awareness to Action
These are excerpts from Chapter 4 of our book, "A Century of Impact: The Denver Foundation's First 100 Years." It offers a glimpse into the history of the foundation, highlighting our ongoing journey to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Read other excerpts from Chapter 4 here (https://denverfoundation.org/2025/02/awareness-to-action/).
Looking Inward
In the mid-2000s, The Denver Foundation continued to support diverse organizations and communities but recognized thatit could--and must--improve when it came to reflecting those communities within its own staff and leadership. The foundation had always prided itself on being a diverse place to work, from its days as a volunteer-run organization to its professional staff. However, the understanding of diversity and inclusion has evolved.
In 1992, the foundation boasted that its staff was diverse, which at the time meant it was balanced between male and female employees.
Today, our society sees diversity differently: it encompasses diversity of thought, race, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, experience, religion, political stance, socioeconomic status, and more.
Beginning in 2001, the foundation made conscious efforts to create boards and committees that reflected Metro Denver more fully. The foundation invested in staff training and welcomed graduates of the Strengthening Neighborhoods Leadership Development Program to join grant-making committees and play an active role in supporting other up-and-coming community organizations.
The foundation's open invitation was well received. Several graduates of the Leadership Development Program joined grant committees and, later, the board of trustees, including Jeff S. Fard (https://denverfoundation.org/2025/09/bringing-community-voices-to-the-table/), a longtime collaborator with The Denver Foundation and a graduate of the Leadership Development Program.
Turning Inclusiveness into Action
The Denver Foundation was inspired by the results of diversifying its own staff, committees, and board. What if all organizations had the opportunity to invest in up-and-coming leaders in their communities? The Inclusiveness Project began as a way to answer that question. The project sought to financially support community organizations as they trained and recruited more diverse staff--staff who reflected their communities but might not have the appropriate professional qualifications.
This groundbreaking capacity-building project helped community organizations train and hire local staff and recruit diverse board members. In 2011, the program received the Council on Foundations' Critical Impact Award. Denver organizations--both grassroots and well-established nonprofits--joined the pursuit of becoming more equitable figures within their communities.
Lauren Casteel and the fostering of community service
Laureen Casteel spearheaded the Inclusiveness Project. Casteel served as the foundation's vice president of philanthropic partnerships and donor services for 16 years. A familiar and influential name in the Denver nonprofit sector, she recently retired as the president of The Women's Foundation of Colorado. As the daughter of civil rights leader Whitney Young, she was raised with the fight for justice and equity in her bones.
Casteel also oversaw the foundation's Nonprofit Internship Program, which placed students in summer internships with organizations around Denver as a way to introduce promising young talent to the nonprofit field. This widely successful program generated enthusiasm, real-life experience, and plenty of heartwarming stories.
"One thing [the interns] learn from each other," Casteel said, "is that while they come from extremely diverse backgrounds, and many come from extremely adverse situations, their profoundly human stories and common goal of service to the community bring them together, and in each case, the ambitions lead them to achieve--not solely for achievement's sake, but for the sake of fostering reciprocity within Metro Denver communities."
Tackling Systemic Issues
Today, The Denver Foundation balances buy-in from partners, community leaders, and everyday donors alike, ensuring that it is democratizing philanthropy. After decades of racial equity work led to new and formalized standards of inclusion, the "giving circles" movement (https://denverfoundation.org/2025/07/giving-circles-growth-and-impact-over-the-years/) was a natural evolution of that philanthropy.
In working to create equitable, sustainable policies within its organizational structure and grant programs, the foundation naturally wanted more input from the community. Giving circles are a way to bring donors of similar backgrounds together, in real time, to make decisions about how funds are given. Giving circle members are active players supporting the causes they choose through collective giving.
As the first giving circle at The Denver Foundation, and the first in the West for African-American men, Denver African American Philanthropists created an intentional space for Black philanthropists to direct how they distributed their funds to the communities they sought to support.
Beginning in 2012, members came together to hear each other's thoughts and collaborate, and it gave them a larger platform by unifying their funds--donations large and small. The giving circle supports organizations such as the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver Inc., QueenShipp, Center for African American Health, and the Second Chance Center, all while creating community and fostering an "every dollar and opinion matters" mindset.
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"There's the idea that if you are a philanthropist, you must have some amazing amount to give every single month or every single day. And you're talking about a community that ... is still building up from years of oppression, so most of us don't know that philanthropy can be at $1 a month. And that collective dollar a month changes the world."
--Giving Circle member, 2022
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Generosity and philanthropy have a legacy in communities of color that far predates The Denver Foundation, but the giving circle movement has amplified those already outspoken voices. The same is true for the philanthropists who make up the foundation's other giving circles, including the Colorado Asian American Pacific Islander Circle, Latinos Impacting our Future Together (L.I.F.T.), and LatinasGive!. These communities have long been generous--since before The Denver Foundation existed-- but the foundation can provide additional resources and an intentional space for collaboration.
Giving circle members give in ways beyond their individual financial support by sharing their time, talent, ties, and testimony as well. Many volunteer in their communities in addition to supporting charitable organizations. Recognizing the impact of this multi-layered work, the foundation created the Elevating Philanthropy in Communities of Color (EPIC) initiative to formalize its support of philanthropists, whether new or experienced. Building on giving circle members' existing knowledge and experience, EPIC seeks to increase the impact of everyday philanthropists of color in ways that are meaningful to them.
As part of its journey of listening, learning, and collaborating to train the lens of racial equity onto everything it does, the foundation has regularly taken stock of its progress using third-party evaluation and other metrics. The foundation's desire to be self-critical and respond to feedback creates an environment where hard conversations are not only possible but welcomed. It ensures that the foundation is ready to continue the work of listening by bringing a chorus of voices and experiences to the table for the next century to come.
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Original text here: https://denverfoundation.org/2025/09/awareness-to-action-2/
Boston Foundation Partners With Donors to Distribute $900,000 in Meeting the Moment Grants to Regional Food Nonprofits
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 16 -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 15, 2025:
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The Boston Foundation partners with donors to distribute $900,000 in Meeting the Moment grants to regional food nonprofits
New round raises overall commitment to $1.9 million as part of organization-wide "Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families" work
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The Boston Foundation today announced a second round of Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families grants as part of its ongoing commitment to support local organizations and communities threatened by federal cuts to critical programs.
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 16 -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 15, 2025:
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The Boston Foundation partners with donors to distribute $900,000 in Meeting the Moment grants to regional food nonprofits
New round raises overall commitment to $1.9 million as part of organization-wide "Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families" work
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The Boston Foundation today announced a second round of Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families grants as part of its ongoing commitment to support local organizations and communities threatened by federal cuts to critical programs.The grants, totaling $900,000, are being awarded to nine organizations that advocate for, supply, distribute, and deliver vital food supplies across Eastern Massachusetts.
"We are thankful to those donors whose contributions nearly doubled the size of this round of grants to regional food pantries, distributors and networks across the region," said Lee Pelton, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "As the federal government's callous and cruel changes to basic needs programs force thousands of hard-working people in Massachusetts off food assistance, regional organizations like these and the Greater Boston Food Bank will strive to close the gaps, and they will need support from all of us in our communities to do it."
The new round of grants was seeded with $500,000 from the Boston Foundation's Fund for Boston's Future, which donors quickly supplemented as part of the Foundation's long-term commitment to meeting basic needs. The Foundation announced its first grant, a $1 million commitment to the Greater Boston Food Bank, last month as part of a design to support both the hub and spokes of the region's complex food system.
The Greater Boston Food Bank distributes as much as 80 percent of the food supplied to food pantries across the Commonwealth; the nine grantees announced today were chosen for their essential role in the Greater Boston ecosystem, the amount of food they deliver to partner organizations, the models they use for food distribution, and the cities and towns they serve.
Grantmaking is just one part of the Boston Foundation's Meeting the Moment commitment, which uses the Foundation's grantmaking, donor partnerships, research, convening, and advocacy power to distribute critical funding that responds to current need, identifies paths to protect critical systems and institutions, and collaboratively reimagines what a more resilient, robust safety net could look like.
As part of the effort, Boston Indicators, the Foundation's research center, released a new brief last week that found well over 40,000 current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Greater Boston are at risk of having their support stripped or reduced by new regulations. The Foundation is also hosting regular meetings to discuss the need and coordinate strategies to support key organizations, and is working with local and state leaders to highlight needs and areas for support.
"By working together to ensure everyone who lives in Greater Boston is seen and provided what they need to survive and thrive, we can emerge from this era even stronger as a community," said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. "These grants represent just one element of our commitment as a civic leader and partner in the community."
Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Families grantees
In addition to the Greater Boston Food Bank, which received a $1 million grant last month, the following nine organizations are receiving $100,000 grants. They include:
Distributors:
Merrimack Valley Food Bank
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank provides nutritious food and personal care items to emergency feeding programs serving the low-income, homeless, and hungry. They are one of four food banks in Massachusetts that serve food pantries, shelters, and meal programs that, in turn, serve individuals and families. In FY2024, they distributed over 4 million pounds of food and have distributed over 63 million pounds of food since their founding. They serve 103 member agencies in 33 cities and towns.
Spoonfuls
Spoonfuls helps to facilitate the recovery and distribution of healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded. Since 2010, they have kept over 40 million pounds of good food out of landfills, and this year, they are on track to recover more than 5.8 million pounds of food to distribute to 195 partners across Massachusetts.
Greater Boston Food Access Hub
The Greater Boston Food Access Hub is a collaborative food storage and distribution center in Roxbury that distributes food throughout Boston, with the YMCA of Greater Boston as its lead organization. A unique collaboration among a major healthcare institution, a community-focused nonprofit, and City government, the collaborative hub will allow fresher, refrigerated food to reach food pantries, soup kitchens, and other food distribution sites throughout Boston, particularly in neighborhoods with the highest rates of food insecurity.
Suppliers:
Boston Area Gleaners
Boston Area Gleaners builds innovative partnerships with local organizations and businesses to bridge food distribution gaps, improve healthy food access, prevent on-farm food waste, and create new markets for locally grown produce. Their vision is to sustain a permanent agricultural supply chain that will improve the viability of local farms and the health of communities that have historically suffered from inequity in the food system. In 2024, they helped distribute over 4.2 million pounds of food to 72 partners by working with more than 70 farms across the state.
The Food Project
The Food Project's youth, staff, and volunteers grow 200,000 pounds of food annually on their farms and operate farmers' markets in Boston's Dudley neighborhood and in Lynn. Each year, the Food Project hires 120 teens to help grow food and donate more than 80,000 servings of fresh produce to 20 hunger relief organizations across eastern Massachusetts. Their farms make fresh, culturally relevant produce available to neighbors and provide a platform for testing new affordability models. These markets were the first in Massachusetts to accept electronic SNAP benefits and to pilot the SNAP-matching programs that have now been adopted statewide.
Gaining Ground
Gaining Ground, a nonprofit organic farm in Concord, Massachusetts, grows vegetables and fruit with the help of several thousand community volunteers and donates 100% of this fresh food to area meal programs and food pantries. Their approach is local and sustainable--most of the produce is distributed within 20 miles of the farm and within 24 hours of harvest. They donate over 130,000 pounds of produce to 18 organizations each year. Over the past couple of years, they have acquired more federal land to cultivate and grow more food.
Food Pantries and Deliveries:
Brockton Area Hunger Network Cooperative
In 2020, The Charity Guild (TCG) was invited by the City of Brockton to lead a discussion on Food Insecurity and TCG proposed an innovative cross-agency program to unify the client intake processes of local food pantries. Using a shared intake system, cooperative members have streamlined the process of receiving food, significantly reduced waiting times, better connected neighbors to local food programs, and given community members more time for their daily needs. The Charity Guild continues to lead this collaborative program and member agencies include Boys & Girls Club of Metro South, Brockton Public Schools, Catholic Charities South, Father Bill's & MainSpring, Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, Massasoit Community College, Salvation Army Brockton, and the Brockton Farmers Market.
Community Servings
Community Servings actively engages the community to provide fresh, medically-tailored meals to individuals and their families experiencing critical or chronic illness and nutrition insecurity. This year, they will provide over 1.2 million meals to more than 6,000 individuals experiencing critical and chronic illnesses. Their meals meet the medical and nutritional needs of clients with HIV/AIDS, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses.
Advocacy and Networks:
Project Bread
Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible--so that no one goes hungry. Working with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, they help schools with their breakfast programs and encourage student participation in school meals. Their Summer Eats helps fill the summer nutrition gap by continuing to provide free meals to all kids and teens, 18 and under, across the state.
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Original text here: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/press-releases/2025/september/meeting-the-moment-sustaining-families-grants-20250915
