At the Buell Foundation, we believe investing in quality programs leads to long-term changes in Colorado. Our mission is to support efforts to improve quality and encourage meaningful evaluation and assessment in programs helping children thrive, with a particular focus on underserved communities.
The Buell Foundation's grant program aims to fund proven, promising, or developing programs that demonstrate success in helping children, especially in the areas of Early Childhood Education and Development, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention. The foundation prioritizes the education and development of children from birth to five years old, with a significant focus on programs that target underserved communities and rural Colorado. Grant categories include program/project support, operating support, technical assistance, and capital improvements limited to early childhood programs. The foundation supports a wide range of initiatives within these areas, from assessment and evaluation, behavior and social competence, capital improvements, early childhood and preschool programs, home visitation, quality improvement, language development and early literacy, nutrition and physical activity, parenting education, to professional development and education. Additionally, the Foundation funds comprehensive, medically accurate teen pregnancy prevention programs but does not support abstinence-only programs. Grant applicants are encouraged to ensure their projects align with these priorities and demonstrate a commitment to quality and community impact.
Currently, the focus of our funding is primarily towards initiatives aimed at the educational and developmental support of children from birth to five years old, with more than 90% of our last fiscal year's grants allocated to such programs. Additionally, it is important for our Foundation to dedicate resources to programs within rural Colorado, as evidenced by over 65% of recent grant allocations benefiting communities beyond the Denver metropolitan area.