Weld Community Foundation

Congrats to our newest affiliate- the Johnstown-Milliken Community Foundation! If you're in the area, you can learn more about them here: https://weldcommunityfoundation.org/johnstown-milliken-community-foundation/

We are incredibly grateful to the Weld Community Foundation for their generous $10,000 matching grant to the Johnstown Milliken Community Foundation!

Because of the amazing support from our community at Mom Prom, we raised $10,000 and thanks to this match, that impact has now doubled to $20,000 going right back into our local community.

This is what partnership and community truly look like. Thank you for believing in the work we’re doing and helping us make an even greater difference right here at home. 💛

Congrats to the recipients of this year's Endowment Challenge Grant! Azteca Boxing Club / The Greeley Chorale / Hispanic Women of Weld County

For the past several years, the Weld Community Foundation has offered an Endowment Challenge Grant for local nonprofits. Traditionally, starting an endowment with the Foundation requires an initial investment of $20,000. But for nonprofits awarded the Endowment Challenge, the starting point is $10,000. The Foundation then matches that investment with another $10,000.

With an endowment, these nonprofits are planting a tree that will give year after year, long into the future. Their endowment will become a steady stream of income. It can also become a natural home for estate gifts and complex contributions such as stocks, IRA QCDs, or real estate. In a sense, it tells the community: our work is rooted here, and it will continue to grow for generations to come.

In the Foundation's Stories of Good: March, we highlighted the nonprofits receiving this year’s Endowment Challenge. Each will have two years to raise the funds needed to establish their endowment—though several are already well on their way. Cheers to these organizations that help support, enrich, and strengthen Weld County!

Enjoy the full Stories of Good letter here: https://mailchi.mp/5a5421391386/stories-of-good-march?e=[UNIQID]

It's the one of our favorite times of year at the Foundation: Scholarship Season!

On Monday night, we had the honor of presenting Weld County Senior Abigail Tovar with the $80,000 Wilbert R. Wiedeman Scholarship for Greeley Central High School.

Foundation staff, scholarship committee members, Central faculty, and over 25 of Abigail's family members surprised her at the District 6 School Board meeting where she serves on the Council of Student Representatives.

(Yes, over 25 family members and somehow no one told her!)

Watch the video to see the moment Abigail found out she won. Make sure to watch until the end to hear her describe what the scholarship will mean for her.

A bit more about the Wiedemans and Abby below:

Five years ago, the Weld Community Foundation received a generous gift from the family of Wilbert R. Wiedeman, creating the Wiedeman Scholarship in honor of Wilbert and his wife, Marge—two people deeply committed to civic life and community involvement. Marge was a proud Greeley High alum, and each year the scholarship recognizes an exceptional Greeley Central student who demonstrates leadership, initiative, and commitment to community. The award totals $80,000, helping a remarkable young person pursue their future.

This year, the selection committee interviewed eight outstanding finalists. Each had a story of dedication and accomplishment. But one student stood out for embodying the Wiedeman spirit: Abigail Tovar.

Abigail is a multi-sport athlete, thespian, AP Scholar, and student leader—including serving as Student Body President. Her impact on campus goes far beyond her résumé. Through the Caring for Our Watersheds competition, she helped bring a paper recycling program to Central, researching partners, designing systems to avoid contamination, and engaging fellow students so the program continues after she graduates.

During her interview, Abigail spoke with deep appreciation for District 6 and the community at Greeley Central. She shared that her greatest motivation comes from her family and the sacrifices they made to create opportunities for their children.

In her words: “I am a proud Mexican-American woman who is here because of the courage my parents had and my drive to make the most of what has been handed to me. When they saw an opportunity, they took it; I am going to do the same, and inspire those around me to do the same.”

We have no doubt she will.

Congratulations, Abigail. Your leadership and heart for community represent the very best of Weld County.