Partnerships form the backbone of the Lyons Community Foundation

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." – African Proverb

Since Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) was founded in 2007, we’ve embraced the idea of partnering with other organizations. In fact, the people who started LCF brought their idea of having a community foundation to life by choosing to partner with the Community Foundation of Boulder County (CFBC), an existing nonprofit organization. This decision proved to be a wise one, and the two organizations have worked closely together for the last 15 years. 

As an affiliate of CFBC, LCF is the beneficiary of many administrative resources that help us strengthen our local efforts. Since Gil Sparks stepped in as LCF Advisory Board Chair a few months ago, he has worked to deepen the relationship and the opportunities for cross-pollination with CFBC, including paying a visit to their offices in Boulder, and inviting CFBC staff members to participate in LCF advisory board meetings, starting with a day-long planning session here in Lyons. Similarly, Gil recently became a member of the CFBC Board of Trustees. We are grateful for this partnership, and enjoy working with the talented team at CFBC.

Our ongoing partnership with another nonprofit, Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF), produces results that benefit our community. LEAF is an organization doing critical work for local residents, and all of us at LCF have deep respect for their team. Each year, a significant portion of our Community Support Grants funds go to LEAF, providing support for the LEAF Food Pantry, mental wellness programs, and more. 

On August 27th, 2023, LEAF and LCF will be joining forces to bring you the 3rd Annual Hootenanny. This community fundraiser is now a Summer tradition, with live music, a silent auction, a rubber ducky race, a kids zone, and more. The event will once again be held on the beautiful grounds of River Bend, thanks to yet another partnership, this one with owners Mike Whipp and Betsy Burton.

Partnering with the Town of Lyons is also a priority for LCF. Whether it’s giving out grants to support the Sandstone Concert Series or programming for seniors, creating a float for the Holiday Parade of Lights, or setting up a tent with baked goods at local events, we endeavor to give both volunteer time and funds to help make Lyons a vibrant community and a great place to live. 

This June, we’re partnering with the town to put on the 3rd Annual Artisan Market. Scheduled for Sunday, June 4th from 10am-4pm, the Bohn Park event will feature 20+ vendors and music by the Blue Canyon Boys. During the event, the LCF team will be bringing together local grillmasters for “Grillin’ and Chillin’ in Lyons,” with tasty food for all, a healthy dose of competition, craft beer, and our locally-famous root beer floats.  

Events like the Hootenanny are only possible thanks to the financial sponsorship of local businesses, another important category of partners on which LCF relies. Without our local businesses, Lyons wouldn’t be the same. LCF attempts to support these businesses however we can, even in small ways like choosing to hold some of our meetings at local coffee shops or restaurants, and buying supplies locally whenever possible.

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. The fund, seeded with proceeds from the St. Vrain 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 in 2020.

Earlier this month, Planet Bluegrass generously gave us the opportunity to bring in donations during their Easter celebration. Between bar proceeds, and donations at our baked goods tent, we brought in more than $1,200 in just a few hours! This money will go back into the community in the form of grants to nonprofits and scholarships.

In just a few weeks, we are teaming up with the A-Lodge to bring you Movies on the Lawn, scheduled for the first Thursday of each month, May through October. The inaugural event is on May 4th, so come on out and enjoy a movie under the stars, sip a beverage or two, eat some delicious food, and show your support for both LCF and a local business.
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We are always open to new partnership opportunities. Please reach out with any ideas or proposals: [email protected] 

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