Annual Report 2025
FISCAL YEAR: JULY 1, 2024 – JUNE 30, 2025
Artwork by Evann Waterman | on Instagram @evannwaterman
ABOUT
CHINOOK FUND
OUR MISSION
Chinook Fund seeds community-led, systemic change by mobilizing resources for and trusting in grassroots social justice organizations across Colorado.
OUR VALUES
As we do our work, we are guided by the following values:
Resource Generation Colorado event, January 2025. Resource Generation and Chinook Fund friends shared stories about their relationships, learnings, and organizing around social justice and class privilege.
38 YEARS OF SOCIAL IMPACT
1,284
GRANTS GIVEN
$5.6M
GIVEN
591
ORGANIZATIONS
funded since 1987
LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Chinook Fund Community,
This past year has marked both a transition and a grounding for Chinook Fund. I stepped into the role of Executive Director with profound respect for the radical legacy that has shaped this organization and immense gratitude for the leadership that carried us here. Chinook Fund has long been a home for courageous giving, collective care, and trust-based philanthropy. I am honored to steward this work alongside a community that believes grassroots movements are not only worthy of investment, but essential to our collective future.
In a moment defined by political backlash, economic uncertainty, and ongoing harm to our communities, Chinook Fund has remained grounded in what we know to be true. When movements are resourced with trust and flexibility, they build power that lasts. This year we continued to move resources to grassroots groups organizing across Colorado, with a sustained focus on BIPOC-led movements advancing racial, economic, disability, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ justice. Through the Giving Project and the Another World is Possible rapid response fund, we doubled our grantmaking, moving $462,000 to 62 organizations committed to long-term, local power building.
At the heart of Chinook Fund is a simple and radical belief: relationships are our greatest strength. They are how we practice accountability, how we move through conflict, and how we imagine beyond what currently exists. In times when scarcity narratives and division are amplified, we choose a different path. We choose to invest in each other. We choose to trust community wisdom. We choose to build power together, knowing that liberation is collective or it is not liberation at all.
This work is made possible by a community of donors, movement partners, Giving Project members, board members, and staff who show up with courage and care. You give not only financial resources, but time, political commitment, and a willingness to be transformed by this work. Your partnership allows Chinook Fund to remain accountable to movements while cultivating donor organizers grounded in redistribution, relationship, and collective liberation.
As we look ahead, my commitment is to lead and implement Indigenous values across our systems, relationships, and movement resourcing, strengthening Chinook Fund as a home for long term movement building and redistribution. Together, we are building a Colorado where grassroots movements are abundantly resourced and communities have what they need to thrive. Thank you for being part of this collective journey.
With gratitude,
Daisee Francour
Executive Director
Giving Projects have been especially successful at reaching traditionally underrepresented communities, including young people and BIPOC leaders, in Colorado and throughout the US. Chinook Fund is a co-owner and member of the Giving Project Network (GPN), a national partnership of social justice, public foundations that use the Giving Project model for cross-race, cross-class donor organizing.
THE GIVING PROJECT
The Giving Project is an innovative program for leadership development and social justice philanthropy. Over six months, we work closely with a diverse group of 15–20 people from all income levels who are passionate about social justice and want to strengthen their skills in fundraising, grantmaking, and grassroots organizing. They develop a shared analysis of race, class, and power within society, make a personal donation of an amount that is meaningful to them, then collectively raise and grant money to grassroots organizations working for social change in Colorado.
The Fall 2024 Giving Project granted
$
160,000to 17 Organizations*
The Spring 2025 Giving Project granted
$
152,000to 15 Organizations**
*includes 5 start-up, 10 established, and 2 multi-year grants
**includes 3 start-up, 10 established, and 2 multi-year grants
WE BUILD MOVEMENTS
Since 2016, Chinook Fund’s Giving Project has:
Trained
259
Donor Organizers
Engaged Over
4,223
New Donors & Supporters
Raised Over
$
1,765,000for Social Change Work in Colorado
Funded
140
Community-led Organizations
National Giving Project Network convening, July 2025
NATIONAL GIVING PROJECT NETWORK
Chinook Fund is a proud member of the National Giving Project Network (GPN) a collaboration amongst seven place-based social justice funds across the country actively working to refine and adapt this innovative model for donor organizing and social justice philanthropy.
Since 2010, Giving Projects have trained thousands of donor organizers and moved over
$
21,000,000to grassroots community organizing, from over 23,000 donors.
To learn more about the National Giving Project Network, visit www.givingprojects.org
THE GIVING PROJECT NETWORK
Click to Expand
To learn more about the National Giving Project Network, visit givingprojects.org
- 1. Bread & Roses Community Fund, Philadelphia, PA
- 2. Chinook Fund, Denver, CO
- 3. Crossroads Fund, Chicago, IL
- 4. Hawai’i People’s Fund, Honolulu, HI
- 5. Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Minneapolis, MN
- 6. Maine Initiatives, Portland, ME
- 7. North Star Fund, New York, NY
FALL 2024 GIVING PROJECT
Cohort Members
Emily Collyns
Kristen Fledderjohn
David Geras
Jordan Hallman
Gabrielle Hooper
Katherine Kalmon
Mary Kerr
Hassan Latif
Kiandra Quinn
Devon Quispe
Marcia Rojas
Luna Rosal
Evan Segura
Jessica Swindon
Jeff Therrien (in remembrance)
Kelly Trace
Elliott Williams
”At a time when distrust is growing, resentment and retreat and isolation are so enticing, the Giving Project is proof that collective action for good is still possible. Now more than ever, we need evidence that when we work together toward something important we can achieve it.
SPRING 2025 GIVING PROJECT
Cohort Members
Kristen Ashworth
Dara Bellinson
Alex Bernat
Michelle Camacho Liu
Claudette Cariño
Megan Cliff
Leah Dirkse
Ayleen Guzman
Stephanie Kaufman
Emily Letts
Dan Marion
Rachel McCarl
Binisha Shrestha
Yadira Solis
”I have always hidden my philanthropy especially from the people I am closest with. But the Giving Project helped me lean into organizing and fundraising as a means of deepening relationships, and I think that’s powerful and will stick with me. It was also so impactful to be a part of a group that cares about this work because I think that’s rarer.
OUR GRANTEES
FALL 2024
ESTABLISHED - $10,000
Undestructable
Denver
MULTI-YEAR - $20,000 Over 2 Years
OUR GRANTEES
SPRING 2025
START UP - $4,000
ESTABLISHED - $10,000
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
Harvest of All First Nations
Boulder, Colorado – Fall 2024 Grantee
Harvest of All First Nations is a grassroots community-based organization that advances Indigenous-led solutions to climate change, institutionalized racism, and the disparate social determinants of health on BIPOC+ based in Colorado. They build power through reconnection with and centering of Indigenous and ancestral teachings to advance native and BIPOC+ sovereignty and autonomy. Key programs include Ancestral Womb & Postpartum Care, Food Justice & Sovereignty, Solidarity Anti-Racism Learning, and Cultural, Education & Environmental Justice Initiative.
Greater Denver CARES
Denver, Colorado – Fall 2024 Grantee
Greater Denver CARES is a transformative movement dedicated to empowering BIPOC youth. Through culturally anchored mental wellness and academic support, Greater Denver CARES changes lives and builds futures. Their flagship programs “The Rising” and “The Baldwin Project” confront systemic barriers head-on, turning adversity into strength and ensuring that representation fuels progress. In partnership with leading organizations, they are committed to elevating youth beyond limitations, guiding them toward unparalleled mental well-being and academic excellence.
El Movimiento Sigue
Pueblo, Colorado – Spring 2025 Grantee
El Movimiento Sigue is a Chicanx-led social justice organization with over 50 years of grassroots advocacy. Their mission is to amplify marginalized voices and build collective power through community-based media and communications strategies. By leveraging culturally rooted storytelling and alternative media platforms, El Movimiento Sigue addresses systemic issues such as poverty, incarceration, and racial inequality. Their flagship media project, La Cucaracha, has been a vital tool for promoting equity and empowering underserved communities since its founding in the 1970s.
Colorado River Valley Team
Parachute, Colorado – Spring 2025 Grantee
Colorado River Valley Team is a non-profit organization that works together with community members to improve the wellbeing of low-income families in the Colorado River Valley through work in leadership development, education, language justice, and community rights.
INVESTING IN BLACK, INDIGENOUS & PEOPLE OF COLOR-LED MOVEMENTS
Chinook Fund believes communities are best equipped to solve the challenges they face. By trusting grassroots leadership and providing funding to groups led by and for communities impacted by injustice, we support Colorado’s movements for social justice.
CORE FUNDING CRITERIA
- Constituent-Led The work is led by the people most impacted by injustice.
- Community-Wide The work reflects all members of the constituency, especially those who experience multiple forms of oppression.
- Lasting Effect The work makes change not just for one individual today, but for the community as a whole, and for future generations.
Chinook Fund prioritizes funding for groups that are Black-led, Indigenous-led, based in rural communities, and those using community organizing as a strategy for change. The Giving Project model centers Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty as a part of Chinook Fund’s racial justice commitment and the reality that all wealth in the U.S. is built on stolen land and stolen labor.
$150K
In grants distributed to
30
Organizations in 2025
$1,085,000
to 104 organizations since launching in May 2020
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
$5,000
Grant Award Amount
93%
Awarded to BIPOC-led organizations
23%
Based in rural communities
LETTER FROM ALMA URBANO, CHINOOK FUND GRANTS MANAGER
In the current political climate, organizations who are dedicated to progressive social change and to defending the lives of the most marginalized communities are facing unprecedented challenges and threats. These organizations and their leaders, who are on the frontlines of upholding democracy, are facing a backlash of censorship, political repression, and divestment.
The Another World is Possible Fund is a rapid response funding vehicle to invest in the social justice organizations who are fighting for community care and safety in the short term AND a visionary future for our world in the long term. The fund was launched in May 2020 through an innovative partnership with Transformative Leadership for Change (TLC). Through their fellowship program, TLC supports the sustainability, healing, solidarity, and radical visions of BIPOC people leading social justice organizations.
In the third year of the Another World is Possible Fund, we continued to focus on the resiliency of grassroots leaders, organizations, and communities. Over the past year, we successfully distributed an additional $150,000 to 30 social justice organizations through the fund.
We send deep gratitude to our funders, donors, and friends who supported the re-launch of this critical response fund. In the coming year, we look forward to collaborating with Transformative Leadership for Change to assess ongoing needs in Colorado’s social change ecosystem and map out the future of this fund. Grants this year focused on the following criteria:
- Emergent, urgent needs in response to the current political climate that required resources beyond regular programming/activities.
- Safety, security, and protection—including legal consultation, digital and physical security planning, communications consultation, and bail funds.
- Setting up mutual aid infrastructure for organizations and communities.
Intentional solidarity building across communities or issue areas for mutual protection and movement building. - Healing and community care activities for community members and leaders targeted by political repression.
- Bridge support for organizations that lost funding due to political repression.
In solidarity,
Alma Urbano (she/her)
Chinook Fund Grants Manager
Another World is Possible Fund Committee Member
Chinook Fund Serves as the fiscal sponsor for Colorado Funders for Inclusiveness and Equity (COFIE). COFIE was founded in 2008 and exists to support, educate and embolden Colorado funders to lead the movement toward inclusivity and equity in philanthropy. What started as a small group of about ten people has grown into a vibrant group of more than 200 grantmakers committed to personal and professional development to advance and promote inclusiveness and equity. The group serves as a resource to local funders as they challenge their thinking and consider implementing changes within their own organizations regarding inclusiveness and equity. The group also serves as a support network for members as they educate themselves about inclusiveness, equity, diversity, and anti-oppression practices. Membership is open to all Colorado funders.
COFIE SPONSORS & DONORS
AJL Foundation
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
Chinook Fund
Colorado Gives Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation
The Denver Foundation
Gary Philanthropy Employee Fund
Gates Family Foundation
Great Outdoors Colorado
Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation
Longmont Community Foundation
Next50
Philanthropy Colorado
Rocky Mountain Health Foundation
Rose Community Foundation
Windy Pines Foundation
5 Anonymous Individuals
Celebrating community at our September 2024 Constellations of Change event.
Special thanks to Blue Dot Advocates, the Changemaker Sponsor for our October 2025 Community Celebration.
CONSTELLATIONS OF CHANGE
Constellations of Change is a series of intergenerational, intimate gatherings of Chinook Fund supporters passionate about mobilizing resources and co-creating a meaningful community of donor activists. The Constellations community includes sustaining donors, both multi-year and monthly, who collectively contribute $250,000 a year in critical, unrestricted support to Chinook Fund. Through Constellations of Change, we aim to imagine something beyond the typical donor/funder exchange, and invite you to join us in dreaming among the stars.
To join, or for more information, contact Shelby Bates at sbates@chinookfund.org.
IN
MEMORIAM
Emery Golson
A member of our community, Emery Jane Sunderland Golson, passed away in January 2025. Emery was deeply passionate about her work in philanthropy, a passion that led her to connect with Chinook Fund. She dedicated herself not only to supporting causes close to her heart—Indigenous sovereignty, healing, reproductive justice, and grassroots social movements—but also to transforming the way giving happens. She believed in democratizing philanthropy, ensuring that more voices were included in funding decisions.
Emery had a remarkable gift for bringing people together. She convened diverse groups—women, youth, and friends—creating spaces for learning, collaboration, and collective decision-making. Her efforts inspired others to think critically about philanthropy and to work toward building a more just and equitable world. Emery embraced life with boundless enthusiasm, deep love, insatiable curiosity, and heartfelt compassion. She was a devoted mother, healer, philanthropist, and a beloved friend to many.
Thank you to the many individuals who made gifts to Chinook Fund in memory of Emery.
Mimi Madrid
Mimi Madrid, fiercely beloved visionary for the LGBTQIA+ liberation movement in our state, a life force to Colorado’s young queers of color, and executive director of Fortaleza Familiar, joined the ancestors in November 2025. Co-founded by Mimi, Fortaleza Familiar is a community-based nonprofit, and Chinook Fund grantee, dedicated to the wellness of Indigenous, Chicanx, Latinx, LGBTQ, and Two-Spirit young people and their families in Colorado.
Mimi contributed deeply to the essence of Chinook Fund for more than a decade. Over the years, Mimi volunteered on grantmaking committees, was a dear friend and thought partner to many staff, spoke at events, served as a grantee leader, and more. They brought people together with purpose and joy. May we each hold that spirit in our hearts and relationships.
”It’s the relationships we’ve built throughout the years that fuel our faith. The belief that despite all the attacks against our communities, bodies, and lives—we have the fortitude to survive and create lives driven by love. May our relationships—those with our relatives, neighbors, plants, animals, Mother Earth, and ourselves – guide us to our fullest liberation.
~ Mimi Madrid
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
INCOME
Support & Revenue
Contributions
$1,528,801
Foundation Grants
$168,225
Another World Contributions
$168,235
Net Investment Income
$187,876
Fiscal Sponsorship, Other
$52,828
Total Support & Revenue
$2,105,965
Thank you to the 807 donors who supported Chinook Fund in fiscal year 2025! In addition to many individual contributions, we were fortunate to receive two legacy gifts totalling $675,000.
EXPENSES
Program Services
Support for Social Justice
$812,344
Another World
$169,057
Fiscal Sponsorship
$35,039
Total Program Services
$1,016,440
Supporting Services
General Administration
$215,483
Fundraising
$141,661
Total Supporting Services
$357,144
Total Expenses
$1,373,584
Changes in Net Assets
$732,381
Net Assets: Beginning of Year
$2,688,085
Net Assets: End of Year
$3,420,466
Financials audited by Watson Coon Ryan LLC
OUR TEAM
CHINOOK FUND STAFF – CURRENT
Hannah Rose Baker
She/Her
Administrative Assistant
Since July 2025
Shelby Bates
She/Her
Development & Communications
Manager
Daisee Francour
She/Her
Executive Director
Since Aug. 2025
P. Barclay Jones
He/Him
Program Manager
Trena Moya
She/Her
Finance & Operations Manager
Mateo Parsons
He/Him
Program Director
(Interim Executive Director Jan. 2025-Jul. 2025)
Alma Urbano Torres
She/Her
Grants Manager
CHINOOK FUND STAFF – FORMER
Crys Middlestadt
They/Them
Executive Director
Through Jan. 2025
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Anna Eunjoo Ghublikian
They/Them
Board Co-Chair
Angela Schreffler
She/Her
Board Co-Chair
Emma Goldman
She/Her
Secretary
Matt Karkut
He/Him
Treasurer
Dee Arias
He/They
Chair of Resource
Mobilizer Committee
Donna Chrisjohn
Wiƞyan/She/Her
Angela Daniels
She/Her
Selamawit Gebre
She/Her
Through Oct. 2024
Erik Ortiz
He/Him
Through Dec. 2024
Melia Polynice
She/Her
Jessica Ramos
She/Her
Since Jun. 2025
Reed Young
He/Him
Since Jun. 2025
FINANCE & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Hadassah Damien
Nancy Hernandez
Mac Liman
Lucy Loomis
Matt Karkut
Erik Ortiz (through Oct 2024)
Melia Polynice
RESOURCE MOBILIZER COMMITTEE
Dee Arias
Marine Brichard
Molly Delandsheer
Davian Gagne
Emma Goldman
Marcia Rojas
GIVING PROJECT CAUCUS FACILITATORS
Alisha Andrews-Simmons
Mac Liman
AWIP FUND GRANTMAKING COMMITTEE
Emma Goldman, Board Member, Chinook Fund
Felicia Griffin, Co-Executive Director, TLC
Neha Mahajan, Co-Executive Director, TLC
Alma Urbano Torres, Grants Manager, Chinook Fund
Tania Soto Valenzuela, Program Manager, TLC
TLC – Transformative Leadership for Change
FEEL INSPIRED BY THIS YEAR’S WORK?
LEARN Visit chinookfund.org/grantees to learn about the most innovative and effective grassroots organizations and activism in Colorado.
CONNECT Join our Giving Project. Chinook Fund’s democratized grantmaking brings together a diverse cohort of people from all income levels who are passionate about social change and interested in developing skills in fundraising, grantmaking, and community building.
ACT Give generously. Make a meaningful gift to ensure all communities have a voice and the power to create a better life.
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