Today I’d like to celebrate the partnership of charitable foundations in our work of providing Housing That Heals in Denver.
As you may be aware, the core of Mile High Ministries’ financial support comes from friends like you—giving from hearts of generosity and care, in partnership with our courageous residents rebuilding their lives. Individual donors are our largest source of income.
I hope you’re as thankful as I am for the ways charitable foundations supplement and multiply your gifts. Working with foundations is both a great joy and a welcome challenge. Let me explain why.
First, the joy. Foundations large and small are established and managed by visionaries. They imagine a better world, as we all do. They have resources to steward faithfully, as we also do. They ask the important question we all must: “What is ours to do?” And so they focus, in a way that usually springs from deep within lived personal experience. For instance, the founding couple of the Gardner Family Foundation noticed neighbors who lacked a place to take a bath. The simple act of noticing became action. Decades later a portion of their wealth has found its way into our own work that begins with noticing our most vulnerable neighbors and taking effective action. A simple storyline, yet how wonderful to share in it! Every grant we receive represents a delightful alignment of vision and intention.
Second, the welcome challenge. Of all our donors, charitable foundations typically present the highest level of scrutiny. Most require detailed, technical homework on our part—both in the application and reporting processes. There are site visits and interviews. Grant officers bring specialized expertise and push our learning curve, sometimes requiring us to add new tools and skillsets. When they push for clarity, we must get clearer—for them and for ourselves. They evaluate actual outcomes. They absolutely raise the bar for Mile High Ministries’ effectiveness in every area of our work.
An added benefit: Because foundations interact with so many nonprofit organizations, they provide networks of cross-pollination that support the generosity of the whole community.
I invite you to join me in gratitude for the foundations listed below, who have generously supported our work over the past year.
Peace in Christ,
Jeff Johnsen
Executive Director
For housing, education, and mental health services for our resident families
For housing, staff training, youth education, mental health support, and rental assistance
For on-site bilingual mental health services and peer recovery support so that programs become more inclusive, equitable and relevant to the diverse needs of residents
In support of our work with the Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY) campaign in Colorado, to remove barriers for religious institutions and educational organizations wishing to construct affordable housing on their land
For increased staffing for compliance and reporting at Clara Brown Commons, our support-enriched affordable housing community
In support of families experiencing homelessness through our Joshua Station program
In support of families experiencing homelessness through our Joshua Station program
For enriching activities, critical services, and caring support for the children up to age 17 living at Joshua Station
For Abundant Ground, our initiative supporting the vitality of local congregations by helping them develop affordable housing on under-utilized land
In support of Abundant Ground’s congregational engagement and readiness for affordable housing development, rezoning, technical and financing partnerships, and program awareness.
In support of Mile High Ministries’ housing programs, including on-site personalized coaching for families on their path out of homelessness and into stable housing
In support of families experiencing homelessness through our Joshua Station program
Trinity Second Century Foundation
In support of families experiencing homelessness through our Joshua Station program
In support of Mile High Ministries’ general operations, Joshua Station, and Clara Brown Commons
In support of families experiencing homelessness through our Joshua Station program
