Chaffee County Community Foundation
Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF) is a public charity based in Buena Vista, Colorado. It describes its work as using philanthropy to enrich lives in Chaffee County, including through grantmaking, donor funds, fiscal sponsorship, and efforts to strengthen nonprofit and community capacity.
Chaffee County Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Chaffee County Community Foundation gave $2.6M across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $68K), mostly in Colorado. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,576,539
- +430.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +58.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $67,804
- +234.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,033
- Total assets
- $3,335,329
- +37.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (15 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Chaffee County Community Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Review the opportunity’s eligibility criteria and guidelines, then apply through the grant portal when an application cycle is available. The website says timelines may change and advises checking for current information. The listed 2026 Community Grants process is closed and its awards have been expended. The 2026 LGBTQ+ Grants cycle, with a listed July 10 deadline; Monarch Mountain Community Impact Grants, with an August 28 deadline; and Chaffee County Common Ground Program, with an August 29 deadline, are past cycles as of October 2, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 492, Buena Vista, CO 81211
Phone: (719) 204-5071
Website: https://chaffeecommunity.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
29 open opportunities from Chaffee County Community Foundation
Arkansas River Valley LGBTQ+ Fund Grant
Chaffee County Community Foundation
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
CCCF Community Grants: City of Salida Community Grants
Chaffee County Community Foundation
Amount
US $550 - US $12,577
Deadline
Deadline not published
CCCF Community Grants: Sangre de Cristo Electric Association Community Grants
Chaffee County Community Foundation
Amount
US $550 - US $12,577
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Chaffee County Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County ($879K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 103 grants of 115 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CCCF’s stated mission centers on Chaffee County. Its 2026 combined Community Grants process covered organizations serving Buena Vista, Salida, and the broader communities of Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Lake, and Saguache counties. The 2026 First Responder Grants were described as serving those same counties. The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Chaffee County Community Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 37 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $66K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $12K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $146K (2021) to $2.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County Salida, CO | General Operating Funds & Capital Match | $878,627 |
| Watershed NP Inc Buena Vista, CO | Grove Project | $400,000 |
| Central Colorado Conservancy Salida, CO | Enhancing ranch and rangeland management through virtual fencing & conservation easements | $315,500 |
| Riverside Ditch & Allen Extension Company Steamboat Springs, CO | Riverside ditch and allen extension company ditch improvement initiative 2 | $153,436 |
| Chaffee County Salida, CO | Transfer of Fiscal Sponsoree to New Entity | $131,786 |
| Colorado Firecamp Inc Salida, CO | Firecamp Community Forestry | $76,095 |
| Guidestone Colorado Salida, CO | Healthy communities through education & local food; keeping working lands viable; salida community fridge off-season | $68,390 |
| South Arkansas Fire Protection District Salida, CO | South Arkansas fpd wildfire mitigation & community resilience education initiative | $66,500 |
| Chaffee County Public Health Salida, CO | Contribution to aging well; safer together; chaffee resources & ark valley helping hands | $61,697 |
| TN Bar Cattle Company Salida, CO | TN Bar Pipeline Project | $52,706 |
Ready to take the next step with Chaffee County Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,335,329 | $3,393,081 | $3,279,541 | $2,576,539 | 38 | $78,356 |
| 2024 | $2,434,360 | $2,353,952 | $1,387,374 | $486,154 | 24 | $49,797 |
| 2023 | $1,439,315 | $1,360,839 | $936,516 | $251,427 | 17 | $39,786 |
| 2022 | $1,014,814 | $1,130,613 | $1,611,912 | $968,410 | 22 | $4,102 |
| 2021 | $1,508,081 | $1,453,875 | $748,980 | $146,275 | 14 | $1,165 |
| 2020 | $795,434 | $1,729,706 | $1,231,969 | $596,931 | 68 | $2,021 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CCCF’s stated mission is to act as a catalyst for positive change through philanthropy to enrich the lives of all people in Chaffee County. Its website also describes goals that include growing philanthropic resources, connecting community members with nonprofits, and supporting local nonprofits through grants, technical assistance, training, and networking.
Its grant programs include community grants and funding for areas such as first responders, food access, LGBTQ+ services, childcare workforce support, and forest health, wildfire resilience, agriculture, rural landscapes, and recreation impacts. These are program areas described by CCCF; individual grant opportunities and timelines vary.
The grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the kinds of organizations CCCF has supported. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee says it works to empower young people to reach their potential; Watershed NP says it restores historic buildings for community benefit; and Central Colorado Conservancy says it protects the lands, waters, and quality of life of Central Colorado. Other 2025 recipients included organizations whose stated missions address wildfire training and mitigation, agricultural education and partnerships, natural-resource stewardship, Montessori education, and affordable housing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CCCF reported 38 grants totaling $2,576,539. Grant amounts ranged from $5,258 to $878,627, with a median of $12,033.
Among the largest reported grants were $878,627 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County for general operating funds and a capital match; $400,000 to Watershed NP Inc. for the Grove Project; and $315,500 to Central Colorado Conservancy for ranch and rangeland management work involving virtual fencing and conservation easements. Other large awards included $153,436 to Riverside Ditch & Allen Extension Company for a ditch improvement initiative and $131,786 to Chaffee County for the transfer of a fiscal sponsoree to a new entity.
CCCF’s website says grant opportunities are announced through its website, Facebook page, newsletter, and press releases. Its 2025 filing says competitive grants are accepted, reviewed, and evaluated through its grant portal, with use of funds tracked through reporting functions. Grants processed outside the portal are subject to the organization’s grantmaking policy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rick Hamilton as board chair; Connie Callahan as treasurer; Wendy Hall as secretary; Michael Robinson and Sarah Reed as co-vice chairs; and Christy Doon, Moe Leneweaver, Andrea Earley Coen, Jack Wolfe, and Jamie Sabbach as directors.
Chaffee County Community Foundation is led by Betsy Dittenber, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Betsy Dittenber
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$7K (2021) → $96K (2025)
Rick Hamilton
Board Chair
Co-Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Earley Coen
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christy Doon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Moe Leneweaver
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Wolfe
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Sabbach
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lance Hostetter
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Crites
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Hall
Secretary
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Connie Callahan
Treasurer
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2023
Co-Vice Chair → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Robinson
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Reed
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (17)
- Former: John Vendewalle (2021–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Crissy Supples (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Guy Padgett (2024) — Director
- Former: Bonnie Davie (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Megan Leesley (2020–2023) — Board Chair
- Former: Paul Alexander (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Caitlynn Fortner (2023) — Director
- Former: Rachele Vierthaler (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Rick Hum (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Ed Cooper (2020–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Joseph Teipel (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Merrell Bergin (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Aaron Oglesby (2021) — Director
- Former: Katie Davis (2021) — Director
- Former: Casey Martin (2020) — Director
- Former: Dustin Nichols (2020) — 2nd Vice Chairman
- Former: Jordan Brown (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $96K, to Betsy Dittenber (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Chaffee County Community Foundation
How much does Chaffee County Community Foundation give each year?
Chaffee County Community Foundation gave $2.6M across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $486K across 24 grants.
What is Chaffee County Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Chaffee County Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,033, and its average grant was $67,804, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chaffee County Community Foundation that year got $66K on average.
Where does Chaffee County Community Foundation give grants?
Chaffee County Community Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Salida, CO (24 grants) and Buena Vista, CO (11 grants).
Does Chaffee County Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 21% of Chaffee County Community Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Chaffee County Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Chaffee County Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County ($878,627), Watershed NP Inc ($400,000) and Central Colorado Conservancy ($315,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Chaffee County Community Foundation?
Chaffee County Community Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.
What does Chaffee County Community Foundation fund?
CCCF’s stated mission is to act as a catalyst for positive change through philanthropy to enrich the lives of all people in Chaffee County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chaffee County Community Foundation?
Review the opportunity’s eligibility criteria and guidelines, then apply through the grant portal when an application cycle is available. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chaffee County Community Foundation's EIN?
Chaffee County Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-4605574. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 10, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chaffee County Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chaffee County Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chaffee-county-community-foundation-morg_7123dbdd71f740adb639708adbc2fb28
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_264605574_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chaffee County Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chaffee-county-community-foundation-morg_7123dbdd71f740adb639708adbc2fb28},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Chaffee County Community Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Chaffee County Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?