While some funders in the Mountain States have broad interests and support many types of organizations, others, like the Buell Foundation, have very specific causes in mind as they go about their grantmaking. Below, we look at how the Buell Foundation formed and how it invests in the future of Colorado.
Getting to know Temple Hoyne Buell
The story of Temple Hoyne Buell begins in Chicago, where he was born in 1895 to a prominent family that included a reform mayor grandfather and a great-great-grandfather who was an early pioneer of incorporation. Buell didn’t make his way to Denver until 1921, when his exposure to phosgene gas in World War I led him to the mountains for treatment.
Following this move, Buell thrived in Denver and went on to create the region’s largest architectural firm. Over 300 buildings in Colorado are part of Buell’s professional legacy, but his philanthropic legacy began around 1962 when he created Buell Foundation. Early interests included architecture education, disease research and programs for young people.
Two areas of interest
Buell was always interested in the needs of children, but it wasn’t until 1996 (following Buell’s death in 1990) that the Buell Foundation began pursuing child-focused initiatives and programs in an exclusive way. Early intervention, prevention, and improving social and educational systems in Colorado were the driving forces behind this shift.
Today, the Buell Foundation has two areas of interest: early childhood education and development, and teen pregnancy prevention. Early childhood grants focus on the birth-to-five demographic and go toward capital improvements at child care centers, preschool programs, early learning consultation, home visitation programs, literacy, nutrition, physical activity and parenting education. Teen pregnancy-related grants do not fund abstinence-only programs, but rather support comprehensive and medically accurate programs conducted in non-judgmental learning environments, inclusive of different cultures and gender identities.
A straightforward grant process
The foundation maintains three application deadlines each year, along with a straightforward application process. The application and review process typically takes about four months to complete and utilizes the Colorado Common Grant Application Form, which is linked on the foundation’s website. Grant application deadlines fall on January 15 and the first business days of both May and September.
Dedication to Colorado
The Buell Foundation awards around $12 million per year to Colorado nonprofits. Grants go out to Denver nonprofits as well as groups in rural Colorado. The foundation has over $476 million in assets, and about 65% of Buell grants have gone to groups outside the Denver metropolitan area in recent years.
An accessible staff
The Buell Foundation is known for its accessibility and welcomes calls to the staff with any questions. In fact, the Buell Foundation prefers that grantseekers begin the application process by calling a Buell program officer to discuss whether a project is a good fit, and the appropriate amount to request. However, due to the foundation’s small staff size, it is not possible for the funder to meet potential grantees in person before they submit an application.
Read IP’s full profile of the Buell Foundation to learn more about this funder, and explore our Mountain States funding guide to discover more grantmakers that prioritize needs in Colorado.