AFP Colorado Chapter

🎉 Congratulations to Sara Hazel: Outstanding Professional Fundraiser!

We're thrilled to celebrate Sara Hazel, President & CEO of Denver Public Schools Foundation, as AFP Colorado's Outstanding Professional Fundraiser for National Philanthropy Day!

Under Sara's leadership, DPS Foundation has turned urgent community needs into real, tangible support for Denver students and families:

💙 $455,000+ raised through the New Arrivals Fund to support 3,800 newly arrived students 🎓 $2.5M+ delivered directly to families through My Spark Scholarship 🍎 $180,000+ in emergency food aid when delayed SNAP benefits threatened families 📈 163% increase in unrestricted dollars raised since 2020

As DaVita Giving Foundation's Liz Gardner put it: "Sara is an exceptional fundraiser because she anchors her strategies in data, deep systemic knowledge, and a true love for Denver's 90,000 students."

Please join us in celebrating Sara and all our 2026 honorees at National Philanthropy Day!

We're honored to announce that Joan Slaughter has been named a recipient of AFP Colorado's Outstanding Philanthropist award! Her story is one of turning profound loss into lasting hope.

Following the loss of her daughter Morgan to glioblastoma in 1998, Joan transformed her grief into a lifelong commitment to pediatric cancer research. Alongside her late husband, Steven Adams, she co-founded the Morgan Adams Foundation and has guided its growth into a respected force in pediatric oncology, providing nearly $10 million in research support to Children's Hospital Colorado.

Her impact reaches far beyond funding:
- Serves as a Patient Advocate on the NIH Pediatric Central Institutional Review Board
- Chairs the Colorado Kids' Cancer Association, bringing organizations together to strengthen collective impact
- Known for investing early in promising research, helping unlock significantly larger investments and scientific progress

Researchers Lia Gore, Nick Foreman, and Rajeev Vibhakar captured her impact perfectly: "Many philanthropists write checks. Joan builds infrastructure for discovery."

Joan, thank you for creating hope, accelerating research, supporting families, and building a stronger community around children facing cancer. You are an inspiration to us all. 💙

Celebrating Lopez Elementary's 4th Graders 💌

We're thrilled to announce that the fourth-grade students at Lopez Elementary School have been named recipients of AFP Colorado's Outstanding Youth Group award — and their story is proof that philanthropy has no age requirement.

For nearly 20 years, these students have turned Valentine's Day into a force for good. Through their Hearts for Respite Care Luncheon, they raise funds to help youth with developmental disabilities attend Wilderness Camp.

What began in 2007 as an effort to send one student to camp has grown into a beloved student-led tradition. Each year, fourth graders transform their school into a restaurant — serving as planners, greeters, hosts, food runners, fundraisers, and even grant writers.

The results speak for themselves:

- They consistently raise $2,500–$5,000 each year
- Together, Lopez students have raised more than $50,000 for Respite Care
- Kristi Briles, Executive Director of Respite Care, put it perfectly:

"These students are not simply participating in a school project, they are leading a meaningful community effort with heart, purpose, and pride."

Compassion, inclusion, and an incredible legacy of youth-led philanthropy — congratulations to every Lopez fourth grader, past and present. You're showing us all what's possible. 💜

Join us in celebrating Lopez Elementary and all our award recipients at the 2026 National Philanthropy Day luncheon on November 5!

👉https://lnkd.in/guQFCbTG

Coffee Chat: Ethical AI ☕

Join the AFP Colorado community for our next Coffee Chat on Tuesday, November 10th from 8:00–10:00 am as we explore Ethical AI in fundraising.

Whether you're curious about how AI is shaping our work or want to talk through the opportunities and responsibilities it brings, this is a space to connect, share, and learn together.

📍 Where: Junior League of Denver 1301 S. Washington Street Denver, CO 80210

📅 When: Tuesday, November 10th · 8:00–10:00 am

☕ A few notes:

- Coffee Chats happen the 2nd Tuesday of each month
- Anyone with fundraising duties in their job description is welcome
- Free to attend — no registration needed
- The JLD parking lot is reserved for staff and members, so please use surrounding streets for parking

We'd love to see you there. Grab a cup, pull up a chair, and let's talk about the future of ethical fundraising. 💙

Celebrating Enterprise Community Partners 🏡

We're excited to announce that Enterprise Community Partners has been named a recipient of AFP Colorado's award — and they couldn't be more deserving.

Enterprise is a leader in advancing affordable housing across Colorado and the broader Mountain West. But what sets them apart is that their work goes far beyond funding.

Through initiatives like the Renter Wealth Creation Fund, they're helping renters build financial stability and long-term opportunity. Through Equitable Path Forward, they're expanding resources and capacity for historically marginalized housing developers. And they bring together nonprofits, developers, policymakers, funders, and community leaders to tackle housing preservation, climate resilience, and resident opportunity.

Laura Brudzynski, President and CEO of Archway Community Services, said it best:

"Enterprise is far more than a funder; they are a trusted thought partner, an advocate, a convener, and a catalyst for meaningful, lasting change."

That's the kind of partnership that builds more than homes — it builds thriving, resilient communities.

Congratulations to the entire Enterprise team. Thank you for your commitment to partnership, innovation, and lasting community change. 💙

Join us in celebrating Enterprise and all our award recipients at the 2026 National Philanthropy Day luncheon on November 5!

https://community.afpglobal.org/afpcoc.../npd48/content28749