Embracing our past.
Focusing on our future.
In 1937, Spencer Penrose and his wife Julie established El Pomar Foundation. Spencer’s entrepreneurial interests and one-of-a-kind personality combined with Julie’s big heart and love of the arts has created a living legacy.
Today, we share their adventurous spirit, blending their original vision with modern ideas and input. We build on their dream of a Colorado where everyone can thrive and experience the beauty of the modern west.
Grant applications are reviewed by our Trustees 4-6 times a year, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. El Pomar does not have traditional grant deadlines.
Growing our impact
Rooting into our deep legacy in Colorado, we invest in the organizations, people, and partnerships; creating a compounding effect.
of philanthropy
empowered through grants
in grants, programs and assets
Community & connections in action
- Blog Posts, Fellowship
- Blog Posts, Regional Partnerships
- Blog Posts, Regional Partnerships
Our history inspires the work we do everyday.
Founders Spencer and Julie Penrose were visionary community stewards who invested in the well-being of the people of Colorado. Spec’s proclivity for promotion and Julie’s empathetic altruism uniquely positioned them to improve the lives of Coloradans. They created El Pomar Foundation to ensure their commitment to community would endure.
We honor their vision by supporting and working alongside nonprofits, and directing programs focused on leadership development. We preserve and share the Penrose legacy to inspire future generations.
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Paul Major has been an active member of the greater Telluride community since 2000 when he helped establish the Telluride Foundation. While serving as CEO for 22 years, the foundation offered generous support to 501(c)3 organizations in the area. In 2021, Paul’s final year leading the foundation, they distributed over $3 million in awards and grants to charitable organizations. Paul currently serves as a Board Member for Paradox Community Trust and Manager of Rural Homes, LLC. Both organizations work to address the needs of rural communities who lack the necessary resources to thrive. Aside from philanthropic work, Paul is a dedicated skier and was highly involved with the US Ski Team both as an athlete and coach between 1984 and 1994. Paul and his wife, Lois, have three children, Victor, Naomi, and Malcolm.
*Award retired in 2024
Lucille A. Echohawk is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and resides in Arvada, Colorado. She has worked in the Indian child welfare, non-profit, and philanthropic fields for more than thirty years. Lucille is co-founder of Native Americans in Philanthropy, the Denver Indian Center, Inc., the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, the Pawnee Evening Star Fund, and now the Native American Housing Circle. She currently serves on the Tribal Law and Policy Institute Board of Directors, as a senior fellow for the Child Welfare League of America and advises the Common Counsel Foundation to further expand its Native Voices Rising initiative. Lucille has received many awards, including two lifetime achievement awards from the Denver Indian Center and Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios. She also received Leadership Denver’s Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) works to address hunger across Colorado and Wyoming. With one in 11 Coloradans facing food insecurity, FBR has created more than 800 hunger relief partnerships and helped introduce over 70 mobile pantries within Colorado suited to meet the varying needs of the communities they serve with an emphasis placed on nutrition and sustainability. Thanks to FBR’s robust volunteer base and dedicated staff, they dramatically improve the lives of Coloradans each year. In 2023, they distributed 66 million meals which ensured that over 367,000 individuals across Colorado and Wyoming received food daily. Now in their 46th year of service, Food Bank of the Rockies is continuing to look ahead with one guiding aspiration: “Ensuring all of our neighbors have enough nutritious and familiar food to thrive.”
Court Appointed Special Advocates of the 7th Judicial District (CASA 7JD) was created to advocate for children who have been adversely affected by the legal system. Since 2000, staff and volunteers have been acting as the “voice for the child” to amplify the needs of the children. CASA 7JD felt that while advocacy services are essential, they do not address all the needs of the community at hand. With programs unique to CASA 7JD such as Supervised Exchange and Parenting Time (SEPT) and the Youth Services Program, they are continuously growing their impact. CASA did not stop there. Today, they are finalizing their new housing project, Village of the San Juans, which will provide affordable housing and community for at risk youth who have aged out of the foster care system as well as for senior citizens. By acknowledging and supporting the children who have been impacted by the child welfare system, CASA 7JD is working to break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
Kathleen Merritt is a local expert on early childhood development and has worked tirelessly to better her community for decades. Over the last 10 years, Kathleen has worked at Bright Futures, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in the San Juan Region. In her role as executive director, she has increased the organization’s support programming by 160 percent thus allowing them to serve seven counties in differing capacities. Prior to Bright Futures, Kathleen directed a childcare center and preschool program for 21 years. Kathleen is an avid skier and outdoorswoman. She enjoys these activities with her husband, Jason, and their two children, Townes and Caroline. Her professional success is inspired and supported by her family.
In 2006, Jay Cimino and his wife, Emily, repurposed a vacant church in Trinidad and created Mt. Carmel Wellness and Community Center before expanding the operation to more properties. They founded Mt. Carmel with two main goals: offering healthcare in the form of behavioral health, primary care, and wellness education, and offering wellness services, prevention, education, and youth programming to those in need in Southern Colorado. Today, Mt. Carmel hosts a variety of community enrichment programs to improve citizen health both mentally and physically. These programs include but are not limited to yoga, youth choirs and orchestras, cooking classes, exercise classes, health education classes, and leadership programs. Staying true to the original church’s mission, Mt. Carmel serves as a central meeting place for gatherings and community building. The Wellness Center has become an integral part of Trinidad by addressing some of the most urgent threats to the health of the community.