2026 Grant Recipients
Organizations that have received grants from the Golden Civic Foundation impact nearly everyone living in Golden and beyond. We are proud of the investments in our community and the significance we’ve all enjoyed because of them.
Scroll down to see all the clubs, schools and other various non-profits who have benefited from the donations.
A Little Help: Volunteer-powered support — transportation, errands, yard work, and social connection — helping older adults in Golden age safely and independently in their homes.
“It means a lot of freedom for us. My husband can no longer drive, and they take us to breakfast every Sunday morning. Things that we can't possibly do, they do for us. They are the best help you can get. We just can't thank them enough.”
— Judy Byra, A Little Help member
Bell Middle School: Audio visual equipment, keeping our schools fully functioning.
BGOLDN: Local Food Access Program; fresh food access for Golden families through the Golden Farmers' Market, with preloaded debit cards enabling households to shop for locally grown food throughout the market season.
Bike Walk Golden: Golden Bike Map; a user-friendly cycling map making it easier and safer for Golden residents and visitors to navigate the city by bike for everyday trips and recreation.
Boulder Climbing Community: Replacement of aging and unsafe climbing anchors at the Golden Cliffs, maintaining one of the Front Range's most popular climbing destinations.
CASA of Jefferson & Gilpin Counties: Life skills, emotional support, and career readiness for youth aging out of foster care — and recognition of Golden's most resilient young people.
“Jordan has overcome the challenges of self-employment and now earns a six-figure income. Fully self-sufficient, he applied $10,480 from the Youth Alliance Program Completion Fund toward a new work truck. His dedication, resilience, and compassion make him an inspiring example of the impact of long-term mentorship.”
— CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, on a Youth Alliance graduate
CBR Youth Connect: Resilience programs — HERO-WITHIN and Bounce Back — that recognize and reward Golden students overcoming adversity, with funding going directly to youth-identified opportunities.
Colorado Cowboy Gathering, Inc.: An 80-year Golden tradition celebrating Western heritage through live performance, with a school outreach program reaching hundreds of local elementary students each year.
Colorado Environmental Film Festival: Sponsorship for Colorado Environmental Film Festival.
Colorado Mountain Club: A teen internship program providing hands-on outdoor leadership, environmental science, and nonprofit career experience, with Golden as its hub.
Colorado Railroad Museum: Staff leadership and training to support the Museum's strategic growth — sustaining a Visit Denver top-10 paid attraction serving more than 100,000 visitors annually in Golden.
“The platform allows you to see the interior of cars without doing damage to the historical objects and gives handicap patrons the opportunity to look inside.”
— Sharon McGee, 20+ year dedicated volunteer and Board of Trustees Emeritus, Colorado Railroad Museum
Developmental Disabilities Resource Center (DDRC) of JeffCO: Trauma-informed resilience training for Early Intervention therapists serving Golden-area infants, toddlers, and families navigating intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Family Tree, Inc.: Wraparound services including emergency rental assistance, utility help, housing placement, and ongoing case management for Golden residents at risk of homelessness.
Foothills Animal Shelter: Temporary pet boarding, low-cost veterinary care, and supplies for Golden residents facing hardship, so no family has to give up a beloved pet in a moment of crisis.
Foothills Art Center: Free and low-cost art programming for seniors, toddlers, and families — including SPARK! for those experiencing memory loss, Artful Journeys for older adults, and Art Tots for parents and young children.
Friends of Dinosaur Ridge: Deep Time Detour Exhibition; a fully reimagined, bilingual, universally accessible museum exhibition connecting visitors of all ages to 300 million years of Colorado's prehistoric past.
“We watched our students' faces light up over and over again as each new turn revealed something new and exciting. They were fascinated and seemingly surprised at their own ability to recognize the fossils in the rocks along the trail. As educators, that's really all we ever hope to accomplish.”
— Camp educator, on a student visit to Dinosaur Ridge
Golden Bicycle eXperience (GBX): A Golden-based youth mountain bike program serving more than 300 athletes ages 6–16 each year. Scholarship funding ensures every young rider can participate, regardless of family finances.
“Jake was able to participate last session. This was the first time Jake has ever taken any interest in anything outside of video games. As a parent seeing my child so happy about something meant the world to me. Jake really connected with bike friends and even found two friends that he now eats lunch with at school.”
— Parent of a GBX scholarship recipient
Golden Bike Cruise: Sponsorship of community bike rides that bring Golden residents together on two wheels, celebrating active transportation and neighborhood connection.
Golden Buffalo Bill Days: A free, all-ages festival honoring Golden's Western heritage — drawing more than 25,000 attendees annually with parades, live music, and family activities.
Golden Elks Lodge #2740: Golden High School STARS Program; gift cards, hygiene supplies, and essentials for Golden High School students experiencing homelessness and food insecurity so they can focus on learning.
Golden High School: Support for career and technical education, after-school programming, and After Prom — a free, safe, alcohol-free celebration for Golden high schoolers.
Golden History Museum & Park: Sensory Cart Project; a mobile, hands-on sensory cart making Golden's history more accessible and engaging for children, older adults, and visitors with disabilities or low vision.
Golden Library: Summer Reading Challenge; eight weeks of literacy programming for children, teens, and families — keeping Golden kids reading and engaged through the summer months.
“I liked that there were both adult and child programs, so that my son and I could participate together. I like how excited it gets my grandchildren — they already love to come to the library, this just takes away our excuses for not getting there.”
— Golden Library Summer Challenge participant
Golden Lions Club: 4th of July; a free community celebration drawing nearly 10,000 Golden residents and visitors for live music, family activities, and community connection.
Golden Optimists Bicycle Recycling Program: Free and affordable bikes for Golden residents in need — distributed through referrals from social service agencies, the city's homeless navigator, schools, and courts.
“Step by step, we build the future we imagined.”
— Golden Optimists Bicycle Recycle Program
Golden Pantry & Thrift: The cornerstone of Golden's food security network — distributing 275,000 pounds of food annually, providing emergency rent and utility assistance, and serving Golden's most vulnerable residents with dignity and care.
“They have never taken away my pride. They give hugs, a warm welcome, and help simply by listening. Thanks to their support, I have been able to provide my family with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. This assistance has given us a "help up," not a handout.”
— Natalie Lopez, Golden Pantry and Thrift client
Golden Police National Night Out: Community-building sponsorship for Golden's annual National Night Out event, strengthening relationships between residents and local law enforcement.
Golden Schools Foundation: Golden Gallop; sponsorship of a beloved community tradition connecting families and schools across Golden.
Golden Startup Network: Sponsorship of programming that connects Golden entrepreneurs and small business owners to strengthen the local business ecosystem from the ground up.
Golden Welcome Center: Board development and strategic planning for an organization welcoming approximately 45,000 visitors and assisting more than 2,500 residents and organizations each year.
Golden Women in Business (GWIB): A communication technology upgrade for a network of 194 paid members and nearly 1,000 women entrepreneurs — strengthening the organizational foundation of one of Golden's most active business communities.
Habitat for Humanity: Support for Prosper, Golden’s first permanent affordable housing development.
Jeffco Prosperity Partners: Comprehensive family coaching, resource navigation, and financial literacy for low-income Golden residents — with participants increasing annual income by an average of $34,000 over three years.
“There are so many ways this program has set our family up for success — having college saving accounts for both our children, being able to get off all public assistance, having the support of a community, and working towards buying our first home. This has made an immeasurable difference in our lives.”
— Sunny, Jeffco Prosperity Partners participant
Jefferson Symphony Orchestra: Classical music performed in Golden with free admission for all Jefferson County Public School and Colorado School of Mines students.
“There is no comparison between live and broadcast. Broadcast is a mere shadow of the performance. Being transported through sound to an inner world of beauty and creativity — seeing my friends and neighbors perform great music.”
— Jefferson County Symphony season subscriber
Kyffin Elementary School: Funding so every child can participate in field trips, regardless of family finances — removing economic barriers to shared learning experiences.
Marv Kay Come In and Play Day: Sponsorship of a community celebration honoring Golden's civic legacy and the people who have shaped this town.
Miner's Alley Performing Arts Center: Live theater, comedy festivals, and a summer performance series activating Golden's downtown — supporting both the artistic community and the small businesses that surround it.
“For two fabulous hours I was treated to extraordinary talent, family fun, and above all joy. Smiles and laughter were everywhere. No one cared one wit about our differences. At the end of the night, we all swayed to What a Wonderful World and meant it.”
— Dea Braden, audience member at Miners Alley's Buckets ‘n Boards show
Mitchell Elementary School: Library facelift, inspiring learning spaces for 450+ students and 50 staff.
Neighborhood Rehab Project: The Lot 7 Project — a modular, energy-efficient home prototype designed to replace aging mobile homes in Golden Hills with affordable, sustainable housing.
Outdoor Lab Foundation: Tuition assistance ensuring every Golden sixth-grader can attend Outdoor Lab — an immersive, multi-day outdoor science and leadership experience — regardless of family income.
PorchLight, a Family Justice Center: Coordinated, no-cost services for survivors of domestic violence and related crimes — with Golden among the top ten cities represented among those served.
“PorchLight is an amazing place. Without them I wouldn't have found the strength to leave my abusive relationship. I had nowhere to turn and then I found PorchLight.”
— 2025 PorchLight guest
Ralston Elementary School: Paraprofessional support for every K–2 classroom, preserving district funding for full-time art, music, and PE teachers.
Red Rocks Community College: Need-based scholarships for Golden residents pursuing higher education, matched 1:1 through the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative.
Rocky Mountain Police & Fire Chaplains: Emotional support and critical incident debriefs for Golden Police and Fire Department personnel to build resilience in the responders who serve our community every day.
“The biggest success is being called at 2am and asked if we can talk. Success is being asked to come into the station to debrief a traumatic call. My biggest example is when an officer or fire crew asks me to come for a ride or fire tour just to spend time with the shift — because they trust me.”
— Rocky Mountain Police & Fire Chaplain, on serving Golden PD and Fire
Rotary Club of Golden: Merit-based scholarships for Golden High School and Warren Tech students, plus youth arts programming through Foothills Art Center and Miners Alley; and the Miracle Shop, giving parents experiencing financial hardship the opportunity to select gifts for their children with dignity — serving 185 families and 627 children in 2025.
“He didn't say anything at first. He just stared at the gift. Then his face changed. His eyes filled. And suddenly, he was crying — not from sadness, but from relief. From the realization that his daughter would have something magical. Something just for her. That moment is the Miracle Shop.”
— Head Elf, Miracle Shop of Golden, on a father shopping for his daughter with special needs
Shelton Elementary School: Presenting sponsor of the Coyote Chase for teacher technology needs—ensuring that teachers our supported just as much as our students.
Special Olympics of Colorado: Inclusive sports teams and health programming for Golden residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ages 2 and older.
“When we were at the 2025 SOCO Hall of Fame Luncheon we saw so many people like her who were adults and doing phenomenal things and Fiona said "that can be me." For her to feel that she can do anything is incredible, and it's because of Special Olympics.”
— Keri Phillips, parent of a Special Olympics Colorado athlete
Stories Worth Telling: A three-day celebration of film and storytelling drawing more than 1,200 attendees annually, with year-round educational programming for students and the broader Golden community.
Victim Outreach, Inc.: Victim advocacy services contracted with the Golden Police Department, supporting Golden residents through the criminal justice system from crime scene to courtroom.
Welchester Elementary School: Presenting sponsorship of the Soar 5K community run and funding for a new sound system — improving both community connection and campus safety.
