January 2023
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 business thrive, today announced the recipients of its 2022 Social Impact Grants. The East Denver Food Sovereignty Initiative (EDFSI), administered by the Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Globeville-Elyria- Swansea (GES) Coalition’s Tierra Colectiva GES will each receive $25,000 to support specific initiatives in the local community.
"Through our Social Impact Grants, RiNo Art District has committed to empowering local organizations working to champion social justice, equity and the eradication of racial discrimination each year,” said Charity Von Guinness, Executive Director of RiNo Art District. “To ensure we continue to center equity and justice in this process, we enlisted a diverse coalition of local community members to decide how these funds could most effectively and meaningfully be given to local organizations. We are thankful for the insights and efforts they offered in this 2022 process and excited to see how these exceptional recipients continue to expand their impact and missions."
Funds for the Social Impact Grants were allocated by RiNo Art District’s Business Improvement District. This is the third year RiNo has awarded the grants. The organization plans to grow the grant fund to $75,000 next year.
About the Grantees
Tierra Colectiva GES (above photo) – Part of the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea Coalition, the Tierra Colectiva GES exists to prevent displacement in the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhood through the creation and preservation of affordable and accessible housing, real estate and community ownership of land. The vision of Tierra Colectiva is achieved through community planning and organizing around the collective stewardship of the land.
“Tierra Colectiva and GES Coalition have a mission to organize neighbors for collectively owned and stewarded land and housing, and we are so grateful to RiNo Art District for the opportunity to receive this $25,000 grant,” said Alma Urbano, Co-Director of GEST Coalition. “Through the leadership of our neighbors and navigators, Tierra Colectiva has already built over 10 permanently affordable homes and is currently in the process of securing land for housing, green space, and other communal needs. RiNo’s contribution will support Tierra Colectiva staff with capacity to continue building out our base and membership to make sure our most impacted community neighbors remain in leadership and stewardship of their land and collective power."
East Denver Food Sovereignty Initiative (below photo) – EDFSI works to provide farm-fresh food for the Denver community and promote equity and inclusion in the local food system through the creation of a community-driven, hub-and-spoke cooperative food ecosystem. The EDFSI aims to deliver a Community- Owned Grocery Store and a Commissary Kitchen and Business Incubation program to the residents of the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, thereby increasing access to healthy, culturally relevant food.
“East Denver Food Sovereignty Initiative is honored and excited to be a recipient of the 2022 RiNo Art District Social Impact Grant,” said Paul Bindel, Cooperative Development Director. “This grant will allow us to further engage residents in the design and build out of the cooperative grocery store we are developing with many community partners at 48th and Vine. Our community-driven project will increase access to healthy food and expand opportunities for residents to build wealth through a local food system. These funds will additionally help us center the leadership of Elyria-Swansea residents, whose voice is most important since the cooperative will be community-owned and benefiting.”
To learn more about RiNo Art District’s Social Impact Grant program, please contact support@rinoartdistrict.org.