Seven organizations in five neighborhoods have been chosen to receive the RiNo Art District's latest round of Social Impact Grants. A total of $75,000, allocated by RiNo Art District's Business Improvement District (BID), will be awarded and used to continue the efforts of each organization dedicated to championing solutions across significant social issues in their communities.
"We are so appreciative of the review committee's passion for identifying and advocating for these organizations and appreciate our BID's commitment to directing RiNo's collective resources towards this important work in our community," said Alye Sharp, Deputy Director of RiNo Art District.
As an effort to reduce grant-distribution-red-tape, the RiNo Art District nonprofit organization began distributing unrestricted grants in 2020 to local organizations that heavily invested in Black and Indigenous communities. The process relies on the expertise of a committee made up of local community leaders who both nominate and select recipients, led by Denver City Council District 9 Councilman Darrell Watson.
"This program is absolutely scaled-down to having identified stakeholders in our community that know what nonprofits are greatly impacting members of the community," Watson said.
For Watson and his team, awarding the organizations goes beyond trust. Recipients are chosen based on a proven track record and a portfolio of community efforts that deal with social issues in their communities. Watson says his team will not expect any sort of outcome reporting from these nonprofits. They know people like Beverly Grant of Mo' Betta Green Marketplace who have worked to provide low-cost, healthy food to the community members.
"I just want them to keep doing all the great stuff they're doing," Watson said. "These folks over a lifetime, some of these folks over generations, have been doing the good work."
Rather than carrying out what would normally be a months-long grant process, Watson said this was carried out in a few hours-long discussion involving community stakeholders.
This year's contribution is the largest amount RiNo has awarded to date. Represented neighborhoods include Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Five Points and Cole, all of which touch the River North Art District.
This round's organizations include CIRCLE, EGS + Partners, Green Dot Coalition, Mo' Betta Green Marketplace, The People's Pickles and Youth Empowerment Broadcasting Organization (YEBO Media). Each will receive $10,000 to support community efforts in their neighborhoods.
Globeville's Birdseed Collective will receive $15,000 to support their mission of educating and empowering under-resourced individuals through food delivery, environmental equity work, youth-focused projects and art accessibility to name a few of their evolving initiatives.
To date, the organization has awarded a total of $225,000.
