The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Caring for Colorado Foundation are pleased to announce that they have entered into an exciting new partnership to continue and strengthen the Packard Foundation’s community grantmaking in Pueblo, Colorado.
The Packard Foundation has a 40-year history of supporting agencies, projects, and programs that enhance the lives of children, families, and community of Pueblo, Colorado, the birthplace of David Packard and the city where he spent a significant portion of his childhood.
With the 2015 transition of a long-time Packard Foundation staff person in the Pueblo office, the Packard Foundation had the opportunity to reimagine how its grantmaking might be most responsive and effective to the community’s needs and desires. Through interviews with community and nonprofit leaders and from a survey of current and recent grantees, we learned that continued financial support from the Packard Foundation for community organizations is a top priority. The community also is eager to work with a person with a strong local presence who will provide the same high level of leadership, interaction, and support provided by previous staff.
Throughout the exploration process, the Foundation knew that its commitment to the Pueblo community would remain steadfast and the grantmaking process would continue to reflect the values that have guided the Foundation for the past 50 years. Emerging from the exploration process was an opportunity to leverage the resources, knowledge, and expertise of two organizations to make an even greater difference in Pueblo through our work.
While the Packard Foundation and Caring for Colorado each have a unique approach to grantmaking, we share a common vision with Pueblo residents—to build a community where people are healthy and thriving.
“Working in partnership with an organization that has deep interest and experience in the community, we believe our collective efforts will best serve Pueblo residents and encourage broader engagement with the Pueblo region,” said Packard Foundation President and CEO Carol Larson. “We have always encouraged collaboration among our community partners toward greater impact so when the opportunity arose for our organizations to do so in Pueblo it seemed right.”
“The Caring for Colorado Foundation has a long history of investing in Pueblo nonprofits to improve health outcomes for citizens. With this new partnership, we will be able to engage with the broader community, increasing our understanding and effectiveness in serving the people of Pueblo,” said Caring for Colorado Foundation President and CEO Chris Wiant.
Randy Evetts, a Pueblo native and Senior Program Officer for Caring for Colorado, will lead the Packard Foundation grantmaking, in addition to his grantmaking activities in Southern Colorado for Caring for Colorado. Program Assistant Linda Lazzarini joins the Caring for Colorado team, and will continue to support the Packard Foundation grantmaking along with providing assistance to the local grantmaking of Caring for Colorado. Randy and Linda will work out of the current office at 121 W City Center Drive. Together, they will work closely with a Pueblo Advisory Board and community organizations to continue to identify the community’s priority issues and make investments in nonprofits and programs that complement or support the issues David and Lucile Packard cared most about—the environment, children and family support, and access to reproductive health.
The Packard Foundation’s annual level of funding will remain the same, and it will establish the Packard Foundation Fund for Pueblo, a donor-advised fund with the Denver Foundation, to further assist with grantmaking due diligence and fund disbursement.
