2024 Gifts in Review: How Denver Health Foundation’s Donors Are Creating a Healthier Future

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As we look back on 2024, Denver Health Foundation is humbled by the strength and generosity of our community.

Each act of generosity ensures that everyone can access the care they need, regardless of their circumstances. This year’s outpouring of support has helped Denver Health deliver exceptional care to people across our city. Below are some highlights of what our donors have helped make possible this year.

As we look back on 2024, Denver Health Foundation is humbled by the strength and generosity of our community. Each act of generosity ensures that everyone can access the care they need, regardless of their circumstances. This year’s outpouring of support has helped Denver Health deliver exceptional care to people across our city. Below are some highlights of what our donors have helped make possible this year.

Meeting Greatest Needs

Unrestricted gifts offer Denver Health the flexibility to meet urgent needs as they arise. This year, Colin Barclay and Jessica Zofnass Barclay pledged $100,000 for this purpose. Similarly, The Colorado Health Foundation committed $400,000 in flexible support for primary care and community health services, ensuring funds go where they are needed most. Because of contributions like these, Denver Health can respond to unexpected challenges, improve patient care, and strengthen essential services.

Ensuring a Healthy Start for Families

A healthy start often begins before birth, and our donors understand the importance of caring for families early on.

  • GoldBug contributed nearly $167,000 to the Denver Health Doula Program, which supports and guides expectant parents through childbirth.
  • Roots & Wings Foundation pledged nearly $2.3 million to make needed health care available from the prenatal months through a child’s first three years.
  • The Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation’s support — $120,000 for School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) and $170,000 for Early Childhood initiatives — ensures children grow up healthier from the very beginning.
  • Colin Barclay and Jessica Zofnass Barclay’s $90,000 gift to the Reproductive Choice Clinic broadens access to vital reproductive health services.

Together, these gifts offer families the support they need to thrive.

Supporting Our Most Vulnerable Neighbors

Taking care of those facing significant challenges is central to Denver Health’s mission. This year, we moved one step closer to meeting those needs with The Colorado Health Foundation’s pledge of $200,000 to serve LGBTQ+ and migrant communities. The Colorado Health Foundation also made a $1.2 million investment in programs that help individuals move from inpatient care toward stable housing — an essential step in improving their well-being.

Caring for Denver Foundation contributed nearly $2.6 million grant to the Transforming Health by Reducing Inequities for the Vulnerable (THRIVE) program. THRIVE expands behavioral health services for high-risk youth, people experiencing homelessness, and those involved in the justice system.

By addressing these needs, we help create healthier lives for those with some of the greatest barriers.

Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Care

Mental health challenges and substance use disorders affect individuals and families throughout Denver. Thanks to Dr. Nancy Gary’s generous gift to the Substance Abuse Treatment, Education and Prevention (STEP) program, we are expanding access to effective treatments and support for adolescents. This investment helps more people find hope, begin their recovery, and regain their health.

Building the Health Care Workforce of Tomorrow

Quality health care depends on well-trained, dedicated professionals. The Colorado Health Foundation is making a difference with its $600,000 pledge for the Health Care Entry Program (HCEP) in Denver Public Schools. This program expands opportunities for young people interested in medical careers, giving them a jump start on their future

Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation’s nearly $138,000 contribution to the Expanded Dental Assistant Training Program (EDATP) is creating a stronger pipeline of future providers. By investing in education and training, these donors make quality medical and dental care more accessible for years to come.

Enhancing Care for Adults with Down Syndrome

The Anna and John J. Sie Foundation’s longstanding commitment to adults with Down syndrome supports services tailored to the unique needs of this distinct and diverse population. The foundation recently contributed nearly $106,000, plus a $118,000 planning grant. These gifts are helping Denver Health enhance specialized care, improve quality of life, and foster greater independence for these individuals.

Improving Oral Health Access and Education

Oral health is fundamental to overall wellness. With Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation’s $100,000 contribution to the Public Health Institute at Denver Health’s Oral Health Coalition, we can reach more people with screenings, preventive care, and education. These efforts reduce the risk and impact of dental diseases and support healthier lives in our community.

Coming Together to Build a Healthier Denver

Every gift to Denver Health Foundation — from small donations to payroll contributions to transformational investments — plays a part in improving lives. Denver Health employees know this well: in the first 11 months of 2024, our staff and clinicians contributed nearly $460,000, showing their commitment to the patients they serve. The city’s voters agree, as demonstrated by the November passage of ballot measure 2Q, which will generate $70 million each year.

“Our donors are the heart of everything we do,” said Crystal Potter Rivera, Executive Director of the Denver Health Foundation. “Their unwavering support fuels the programs that bring hope and healing to so many. When we work together, we build a healthier future for everyone in Denver.”

As we look ahead to a new year, we invite you to join us. Your support, in any form, helps improve the well-being of our neighbors and strengthens the bonds that hold our community together.

Interested in helping to advance Denver Health’s mission? 

Our donors are the heart of everything we do. Their unwavering support fuels the programs that bring hope and healing to so many. When we work together, we build a healthier future for everyone in Denver.

Crystal Potter Rivera
Executive Director, Denver Health Foundation

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