The Yampa Valley Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2026 Community Grant Cycle Awards, giving out nearly $726,000 in grant funding to 91 nonprofit organizations serving Routt and Moffat counties, marking a record in dollars awarded by the foundation, according to a statement released Wednesday. 

Requests for up to $10,000 were accepted for this cycle. Every award meets at least 50% of the requested amount, with the average award receiving 83% of its request. Grants were awarded across all categories tracked by the foundation. 

The 2026 grant cycle included two types of funds: general operating grants and program grants. 

Just under half of the total awarded dollars, or around $331,500, were allocated toward program grants, which are designated for a specific project or program, are required of applicants with budgets over $1 million, or faith-based organizations. 

Other applicants can tailor their application as a program grant, but most choose to apply for general operating funds, which provide grantees an unrestricted, flexible way to determine where the grant money is needed most. 

Steamboat Free Summer Concerts was awarded a general operating grant to support its mission of bringing people together through free, family-friendly concerts that feature high-quality artists, benefit local causes and model environmental and social responsibility. 

The all-volunteer organization partners with other groups to expand awareness on a range of topics, including substance-use disorder, food insecurity and environmental stewardship.

The Next Page Learning Center, also awarded a general operating grant, helps serve struggling readers and their families through individualized intervention, diagnostic assessments and advocacy. One sixth-grader in the program noted improvements after just half a school year. 

In the statement, the student said the learning center’s program has helped them learn patterns in language, break up bigger words and feel more prepared and confident to read out loud in class. 

The center regularly engages with many of the foundation’s nonprofit services and recently opened an agency fund for improved financial security. 

Of this year’s grant cycle awards, 17% went toward organizations in arts, culture and humanities; 16% toward human services; 14% toward recreation and sports; 9% toward environmental organizations; 8% toward youth development; 8% toward education; and 7% toward mental health and crisis intervention. 

The remaining awards were allocated to organizations working in poverty, animal welfare, civil rights and advocacy, healthcare, disaster preparedness and emergency response, agriculture and food production, and community building and economic development. 

The annual grant cycle is composed of a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by a committee of 40 community members, along with YVCF staff and its board of directors. 

This process, which includes site visits with every applicant, both ensures an equitable distribution of funds and also allows YVCF to connect more deeply to organizations that might benefit from capacity-building or technical assistance, states the release. 

“In the past year, we incorporated several new practices that our staff and board picked up from YVCF’s education sessions and individual feedback,” said Rebekah Greenwood, executive director of the Senior Social Center in Craig, in the statement. “I can truly say that our organization is more effective, and our grant application was stronger this year, due to some of those new processes.”

The Senior Social Center, having improved its application score over the past year, was awarded 100% of its grant request. 

YVCF Director of Grantmaking Greg Hamilton said in the statement that numerous grantees’ scores improved this year, resulting in larger awards. 

“It’s a testament to these organizations that they are committed to improving,” said Hamilton. “We custom-tailor our trainings and other forms of support in hopes of helping applicants tell their story better, whether that’s through clear financial documents or compelling narrative responses.” 

“We believe these skills translate to higher grants not just from YVCF, but from all the other funders out there,” he added. 

“Every year I’ve been involved, I’m inspired by the incredible work being done by our local nonprofit community,” said Committee Chair Andrea Forster in the statement. 

“Committee members are truly invested in understanding the strengths and challenges of the nonprofits they review,” she continued. “Each reviewer shares what they’ve learned with the rest of the committee, providing their unique expertise for the long-term benefit of the organizations.”

The program is funded through the charitable contributions of community members, YVCF’s donor-advised funds and granting endowments, and Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. 

Ski Corp., which participates in application reviews, has supported the foundation’s community grant cycle program for over three decades with funding generated through the Passport Club charitable ski pass program. 

For the full list of 2026 grant recipients, as well as past winners, visit YVCF.org/Past-Grant-Recipients.