LCF looks back on a productive 2021

The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) was established in 2007 when several area residents saw the need for a locally based philanthropy and began the hard work of setting up the Lyons Community Foundation, under the umbrella of The Community Foundation of Boulder County (TCF). As stated in last month’s issue of the Redstone Review, LCF remains one of TCF’s funds.
The reasons for having a local-based nonprofit include the ability to address the unique needs of a small and diverse community. There are projects that otherwise could not occur given the budget and constraints of a small town.  Also, it gives local businesses and individuals a go-to centralized resource to help and enhance their community.

At no time was the need for a local foundation more critical than during the flood. Thanks to LCF’s existence, the “Rebuild Lyons One life at Time” grant program was able to spring into action, awarding over $1M to local residents and businesses when they needed it most. Funds were given out within three months of the flood to address critical needs.
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In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, the Lyons Community Foundation launched “The Lyons Share - a small business economic relief fund” in partnership with the St. Vrain Market (SVM). The fund, seeded with proceeds from the market and matched by LCF, was designed to help local businesses survive the impact of COVID-19’s forced business closures. With the added donations from the Town of Lyons and area residents, the Lyons Share Fund provided $43,000 to local businesses.

As a community foundation, our main purpose is to inspire philanthropy within the community to support a diverse range of projects and populations in order to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving and encourage positive change in the greater Lyons area. By offering a centralized source for fundraising, nonprofits can focus on their projects. Last year, LCF was able to grant a total of $44,500 to 15 community projects and six graduating high school students. Thanks to LCF’s Community Support Grants, local non-profits received $37,000 in 2021 to put towards 15 separate projects which focus on four key areas: Community Connectivity, Human Services, Youth Investment and Local Ecology. Thanks to LCF’s Scholarship Fund, six graduating high school seniors received a scholarship ranging from $500-$2000 to attend a post-secondary institution. 

Thanks to the community’s support during our first ever Hootenanny and our Community Builder/Annual Appeal Campaign, the Lyons Community Foundation had a better year than anticipated in 2021. This year, LCF will be partnering once again with LEAF and River Bend to bring you this FUN family friendly event on Sunday, August 28th, 2022. LCF is happy to partner with the Town of Lyons at local events by participating in the Winter Wonderland Concert Series (February 26th), the Sandstone Concert Series (Thursday evenings in the Summer) as well as the Parade of Lights (December 3rd) and the Artisan Market (June 11th). We are also looking forward to partnering with Gemini Adventures to bring you the first annual Lucky Lyons 5k and 10k run on March 12th, 2022. Please visit geminiadventures.com/lyons-race to register or volunteer.
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Community members are encouraged to get involved with the Lyons Community Foundation. You can either become a Community Builder by donating monthly to LCF OR  you can volunteer on one of LCF’s committees OR you can become an Advisory board member. To find out more, please visit our website at www.lyonscf.org. You can also drop us an email at [email protected].
​We would love to hear from you!