2021 Grants Awarded to Organizations in Five Points, Globeville, Elyria-Swansea and Cole
November 2021
RiNo Art District, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit grassroots arts organization dedicated to fostering a welcoming, creative community where a diversity of artists, residents and businesses thrive, today announced its second round of Social Impact Grant funding to support local organizations working directly with the BIPOC community championing social justice, equity and the eradication of racial discrimination. RiNo has awarded a total of $50,000 in unrestricted grants to organizations in Five Points, Globeville, Elyria-Swansea and Cole – neighborhoods in which RiNo Art District operates.
“Our district is inclusive of some of the most economically, racially and socially diverse communities in Denver,” said Tracy Weil, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the RiNo Art District. “Inherent in that range of perspectives and lived experiences is the chance to learn from one another. As we continue to educate ourselves about the ways that systemic discrimination continues to impact social, economic, and environmental systems, we have an opportunity to actively support BIPOC community members, artists and businesses. These grants are one more way we’re affirming our commitment to amplifying diverse voices.”
This year’s grantees are:
- CIRCLE - The CIRCLE Conference is an annual diversity and inclusiveness conference for educators, board members, parents, and students committed to building more inclusive school communities.
- Project VOYCE - Partners with youth to cultivate transformational leadership that addresses the root causes of inequity in underrepresented communities by training, employing, organizing, and building equitable youth-adult partnerships.
- Make a Chess Move – An organization intentionally designed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by developing the abilities of youth to reduce destructive decision-making and increase pro-social behavior in their schools and communities.
- Black American West Museum – This museum works to promote an understanding of the role that African Americans played in the settlement and growth of the western United States through its collections, programs and exhibits.
- Mo Betta Green MarketPlace – An urban farmer’s market in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood founded on three principles: Food literacy, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
- Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) – A nonprofit dance company based in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood that is on a mission to infuse vitality, innovation and education into every community they touch—around the corner and around the globe.
- The GrowHaus - A nonprofit indoor farm in north Denver dedicated to food production, food education, food distribution, and economic opportunity. (above image)
- Creative Strategies for Change – This organization works with schools, organizations, and communities to mobilize arts and education for social justice.
- Mirror Image Arts - Working with schools and inside the juvenile justice system, Mirror Image Arts brings theatre to youth who don't always have access to theatre with the goal of strengthening positive rather than negative behaviors.
“As a community of artists, creators and makers, we pledge to use our voices, platforms and canvases to work towards transformative action,” Weil continued. “Beyond the grants themselves, we are actively looking for ways to partner with these incredible organizations to create more meaningful programs, workshops, and events in the district.”