Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation
The Wet Mountain Valley Community Foundation (WMVCF) is a public charity based in Westcliffe, Colorado, formed in 1999. It connects local generosity with opportunity through grants, programs, and charitable giving options, supporting organizations and community services in Custer County.
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation gave $540K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Colorado. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $539,508
- -20.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,268
- -20.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $14,990
- Total assets
- $2,462,025
- +10.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 28, 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 September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation
- Next open deadline
- February 15, 2027 (High Mountain Hay Fever Children's Health Fund)
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 718, Westcliffe, CO 81252
Phone: (719) 783-2865
Website: https://wmvcf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation
Who Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Education Legacy Fund ($64K). Together the top 10 received $342K.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 108 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WMVCF’s stated grantmaking serves Custer County, Colorado. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Colorado. Spirit Campaign eligibility includes organizations headquartered in Custer County or organizations outside the county that directly serve Custer County residents, subject to the campaign’s stated requirements.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 28 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K 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 $273K (2020) to $682K (2024). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $540K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Education Legacy Fund Westcliffe, CO | Educational Assistance | $63,834 |
| Wet MTN Fire Protection Dist Westcliffe, CO | Fire Prevention | $42,602 |
| Westcliffe Ctr for the Perform Westcliffe, CO | Performing Arts | $41,798 |
| Custer Cty Schools Westcliffe, CO | K12 Education | $37,743 |
| Colorado Open Lands Lakewood, CO | Land Conservation | $33,653 |
| Custer Cty Search and Rescue Westcliffe, CO | Search Rescue and Emergency Response | $32,166 |
| High CNTRY Recyclingsustainable WA Westcliffe, CO | Recycling | $23,781 |
| West Custer Cty Library District Westcliffe, CO | Public Library | $23,073 |
| Custer 2020 DBA Altitude Com Fitnes Westcliffe, CO | Health and Fitness | $22,994 |
| Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehab Wetmore, CO | Wildlife Preservation | $20,304 |
Ready to take the next step with Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,462,025 | $1,042,090 | $785,058 | $539,508 | 28 | $167,953 |
| 2024 | $2,238,587 | $1,208,589 | $895,586 | $682,043 | 28 | $42,992 |
| 2023 | $1,822,157 | $632,158 | $602,615 | $388,402 | 24 | $53,755 |
| 2022 | $1,704,777 | $684,047 | $561,776 | $443,956 | 28 | $26,583 |
| 2021 | $1,794,176 | $762,199 | $529,674 | — | — | $135,835 |
| 2020 | $1,545,516 | $629,580 | $487,784 | $272,764 | 25 | $142,886 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
WMVCF’s mission is to provide community grants and support community-based programs and services, strengthen tax-exempt organizations, and give donors charitable giving options. Its stated areas of support include the arts, education, recreation, historic preservation, emergency services, health care, and land conservation.
Its 2025 grants included organizations whose stated work covers a range of local needs. For example, Colorado Open Lands says it works to preserve Colorado’s open lands and natural heritage; Mission Wolf says it provides sanctuary for wolves and horses and educates the public about wildlife and habitat conservation. All Aboard Westcliffe says it works on education and restoration related to Custer County railroad heritage, while Friends of Beckwith Ranch says it preserves and restores the historic Beckwith Ranch and associated buildings.
Grantmaking
WMVCF’s 2025 filing reports 28 grants totaling $539,508. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $63,834, with a median of $14,990. The largest reported awards included $63,834 to The Education Legacy Fund for educational assistance, $42,602 to Wet Mtn Fire Protection District for fire prevention, $41,798 to Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts, and $37,743 to Custer County Schools for K–12 education. Other notable awards included $33,653 to Colorado Open Lands for land conservation and $32,166 to Custer County Search and Rescue for emergency response.
The Community Spirit Campaign raises donations for designated Custer County tax-exempt organizations, with WMVCF matching a percentage of donations and disbursing the total to the organizations designated by donors. Its eligibility requirements generally call for an organization to be a 501(c)(3) with an IRS determination letter and at least one year of operation, and to be headquartered in Custer County or directly serve its residents. The requirements exclude churches and political organizations; they also exclude organizations receiving funds through special tax districts, with listed existing tax-district entities grandfathered in. The board may approve exceptions.
The Community Grantmaking Fund pools donor contributions for local nonprofits across areas including animal welfare, education, arts, health, and land preservation. Grants are awarded twice a year, with a minimum grant size of $1,000. Donors may recommend focus areas, and gifts are subject to a low administrative fee.
The High Mountain Hay Fever Children’s Health Fund is open to Custer County nonprofits and governmental programs serving children from birth to age 18. It considers projects addressing children’s physical, emotional, social, and educational health needs, including healthcare access, mental health, food insecurity, and substance use. Applicants may request support for all or part of a project budget; projects must generally be completed within 12 months. Priority considerations include matching funds for outside grants, collaboration among Custer County nonprofits, and evidence-based programs. Deadline: February 15, 2027.
WMVCF also offers nonprofit training support for professional development. Nonprofits may apply twice per calendar year for up to $200 per application; funds cover training fees, must be used within 12 months, and require a brief year-end summary of use.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Patti Dunn as president, Bonnie Samuelson as vice president, Cathy Snow as treasurer, and Gary Taylor as secretary. It also lists Erin Christie, Lucille DiDomenico, Karen Rulo, Melissa Belkin, and Sandy Messick as directors.
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation is led by Patti Dunn, President since 2025 (on filings since 2022); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Patti Dunn
President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lucille Didomenico
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Rulo
Director
On filings since 2022
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erin Christie
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Belkin
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Messick
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Snow
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Taylor
Secretary
Director → President, 2022
President → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Samuelson
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Heidi Clare Lambert (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Gina Graham (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Mike Pennica (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Victor Barnes (2021–2022) — Former Chairman
- Former: Paul Wenke (2022) — Director
- Former: Don Belveal (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Craig Mayle (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Heidi Clare (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Vic Barnes (2020) — President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation
How much does Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation give each year?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation gave $540K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $682K across 28 grants.
What is Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $14,990, and its average grant was $19,268, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation give grants?
Wet MTN Valley 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 Westcliffe, CO (23 grants) and Wetmore, CO (3 grants).
Does Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Education Legacy Fund ($63,834), Wet MTN Fire Protection Dist ($42,602) and Westcliffe Ctr for the Perform ($41,798), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.0M.
What does Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation fund?
WMVCF’s mission is to provide community grants and support community-based programs and services, strengthen tax-exempt organizations, and give donors charitable giving options. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wmvcf.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's EIN?
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1516244. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 28, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wet-mtn-valley-community-foundation-morg_914968e96e2642c486981f70e4d88e33
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841516244_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wet-mtn-valley-community-foundation-morg_914968e96e2642c486981f70e4d88e33},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Wet MTN Valley 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.
Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?