We believe it’s important to be strategic and community-focused in as many ways as possible, including how we allocate our limited promotional budget. We invest in local nonprofits and create a community good for as many people as possible, making values-based decisions in as many places as we can, rather than spending money on traditional advertising.
Funded by our permanent endowment, these community sponsorships are made possible by 100 years of generosity and support from donors and fundholders and illustrate the many ways that gifts to our Centennial Campaign can support Denver in the short and long term. This is the difference in partnering with us. Your gifts make local impacts in ways that go way beyond individual grantmaking.
This year, we partnered with a variety of Colorado institutions to increase access, support families, and build more vibrant neighborhoods. Here’s what we focused on:
Kids Free Summer Second Saturdays at The Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens provides natural spaces, addresses climate issues and environmental challenges, and offers educational and artistic experiences for the whole community.
This year we sponsored a program providing free access to all children, once per month, throughout the summer, at each of their four locations. We’re proud to create opportunities for everyone to experience this beautiful, informative, and educational space. Thousands of people enjoyed the Gardens this summer and we hope it sparked a new generation of environmentally conscious young people.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science – free day for all
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a cultural cornerstone of the city, and an institution in Colorado for more than a century. Our sponsorship on Aug. 24 allowed free access for everyone to step inside and wander through massive dinosaur halls, explore the cosmos in the interactive Space Odyssey, and marvel at intricately detailed wildlife dioramas from around the globe. Making sure everyone can explore the museum, regardless of their financial situation, means greater accessibility, community connection, and educational opportunities for kids, families, and adults.
Planting Trees across the city with The Park People
The Park People collaborates with residents, businesses, and Denver’s Department of Parks and Recreation to plant trees, expand the urban canopy, and improve public parks. This year we sponsored and planted 50 trees in three high-need areas around Denver.
Volunteers from our staff, their families, and our board of trustees joined together to roll up our sleeves, get some sunshine, and plant new trees in three Denver-area parks. Village Place Park in Montbello, Montbello Central Park, and City Park in Denver all received new trees and should make for greener, cooler outdoor spaces in these neighborhoods in the decades to come.
One Book One Denver
One Book One Denver is a citywide reading program run by the Denver Public Library that connects residents through a single shared book and free community events. This year it featured Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead and his book “The Nickel Boys”, a novel about a Black teenager wrongly sent to a brutal reform school in 1960s Florida. This giant, city-wide book club brings community together, supports education, and sparks important conversations around equity and justice. We were proud to be a part of this. If you haven’t read the book, we strongly encourage you to do so, and the Denver Public Library has copies available for everyone.
The partnership also featured RaMell Ross, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, photographer, and professor recognized for his deeply poetic and visually distinct storytelling, screening his film adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel, The Nickel Boys. Ross discussed his journey in taking this from novel to screen, the film, for a captivated audience.
Yo soy – with The Denver Botanic Gardens
Yo soy is the Denver Botanic Gardens‘ year-round initiative and celebration of Latino culture, art, storytelling, and community connection. This year’s Yo soy featured a Loteria exhibit, partnering with 10 local artists to create a 54-card botanical reimagining of the traditional Mexican Lotería game.
This sponsorship supported community events, artist installations, and traveling exhibits, providing access to cultural education, art, and environmental education to inspire and inform the next generation. It’s one of Denver’s largest Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and we are proud to support programs that advance and explore racial equity.
(Photos by Armando Geneyro)
