Denver, CO—Rose Youth Foundation, a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation, has awarded $60,000 in grants to organizations serving Greater Denver and Boulder. This year, Rose Youth Foundation funded four programs that work to close the academic achievement gap for student in pre-kindergarten through third grade and three programs that help unaccompanied youth or families with children experiencing homelessness become self-sufficient.
This was the 14th year of Rose Youth Foundation, which is a youth-led group of 23 Jewish 10th- through 12th-graders from Greater Denver and Boulder. These youth have met twice per month since October 2014 to learn about philanthropy, explore Jewish traditions and values related to giving, determine funding priorities and make grant decisions.
The grant priorities Rose Youth Foundation members selected and the grants they made reflect their desire to support the Jewish teachings of pikuach nefesh, the importance of saving human life, ahavat ger, treating strangers with compassion, and v’hechezekta bo, supporting those needing help to become self-sufficient.
Following is a list of the grants awarded by Rose Youth Foundation in 2015. Locations indicate the organization’s headquarters, not necessarily the geographic area served.
Helping Unaccompanied Youth or Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness Become Self-sufficient
Comitis Crisis Center (Denver) $15,000 to support homeless teen outreach and family self-sufficiency programs in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
Urban Peak (Denver) $8,250 to support trauma informed services for homeless youth.
Warren Village (Denver) $7,250 to help homeless single parent families achieve personal and economic self-sufficiency.
Closing the Academic Achievement Gap for Students in Pre-kindergarten through Third Grade
Colorado “I Have a Dream” Foundation (Denver) $7,500 to support project-based learning experiences after school at Ruby Hill Elementary for a new first grade class.
Growing Home (Denver) $7,000 to expand Blocks of Hope, developing language and literacy among high needs children and families in southwest Adams County.
“I Have a Dream” of Boulder County (Boulder) $10,000 to provide specialized learning and reading materials for after school and summer programs at Columbine Elementary School.
Reading Partners (Denver) $5,000 to expand one-on-one literacy tutoring to new Metro Denver elementary schools.
To learn more about Rose Youth Foundation, visit rcfdenver.org/RYF, or contact Ben Finan at 303.398.7417 or bfinan@rcfdenver.org. A list of members follows.
Rose Youth Foundation 2014-15 Members
Rebekah Abrams
Natalie Allon
Josh Bogen
Kevin Butterman
Katy Cohen
Hannah Fajer
Yaakov Fogel
Sam Goldstein
Tess Hankin
Jacob Kark
Avi Kaye
Ali Koff
Kaley Kris
Micaela Kurtz
Zoe Miller
Mario Paciuc
Avital Rotbart
Danny Rubin
Haley Schusterman
Ben Shamon
Ellie Shiovitz
Julia Turnbow
Kate Wexler
About Rose Community Foundation
Rose Community Foundation uses leadership, grantmaking and donor engagement to invest in strategic and innovative solutions to enduring problems and emerging issues. The Foundation has granted over $225 million since it was founded in 1995. To learn more, please visit rcfdenver.org.
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