An endowment fund at Rose Community Foundation is helping Project PAVE ensure that its domestic violence prevention programs in our schools continue long into the future.

With more than 15,000 reported victims of domestic violence in Colorado in 2013, Project PAVE’s programs play a vital role in our community. The Denver nonprofit organization is an expert at helping children deal with and talk about violence.

Nearly 3,500 children, teens, parents, teachers and other professionals depend on the organization’s therapy and violence prevention programming each year. Much of Project PAVE’s culturally relevant intervention is done in partnership with elementary, middle and high schools in our community.

“One of the best testimonials comes from Whittier Middle School principal, Jai Palmer, who said, ‘If we didn’t have Project PAVE here, a lot of kids wouldn’t get educated,’” shares Mike Johnson, Project Pave CEO.

Community needs like those at Whittier are driving Project PAVE to undergo its own eries of changes in order to better serve the community over the long-term. Under a new sustainability plan, the organization is making several strategic moves, including establishing an endowment fund.

Rose Community Foundation helps nonprofits like Project PAVE plan for sustainability by building long-term endowments that provide a reliable source of income on an annual basis.

“Our board saw the potential of what an endowment can do, not only as it relates to sustainability but even general operating fundraising,” says Johnson. “When certain donors see you have an endowment, they know you’re in it for the long haul. People know they’re investing in an organization that’s investing in the future.”

Project PAVE had long talked about starting an endowment, but it wasn’t until the right pieces fell into place that it became a reality. Some of the new strategic changes led to selling a building which provided seed money to start the endowment.

Project PAVE chose Rose Community Foundation to administer and steward both an endowment and a more flexible designated fund. “There are lots of good organizations out there to invest with. Rose Community Foundation had what we considered to be the best options for us,” says Johnson.

The organization is taking advantage of many of those options, including receiving guidance and training from experienced staff and participating in our Nonprofit Endowment Incentive Grant Program. “Rose Community Foundation is helping us determine how to grow our endowment through current and future gifts like bequests and other types of planned gifts,” says Johnson.

We’re honored to welcome Project PAVE into our family of more than 100 philanthropic and nonprofit funds under management at Rose Community Foundation, and look forward to helping the organization with its long-term plans.

Get Involved:

• Learn more about Project PAVE at projectpave.org.
• Learn more about endowments at rcfdenver.org/giveandplan.