The Grand County Foundation (Grant Foundation) presented a recap of 2025 block‑grant awards and proposed 2026 funding during the county’s budget hearings, highlighting distributions for health and human services, childcare and a property‑tax assistance pot.

Megan Ladin, executive director of the Grant Foundation, and Amy Hoover, grants manager, told commissioners that in 2025 the foundation awarded about $300,000 to health and human services, environment and education (excluding childcare) and $100,000 to childcare programs. The foundation said final reports for 2025 awards are due Oct. 31 and that, as in past cycles, the committee will compare final reports when reviewing 2026 applications.

“Final reports for 2025 aren’t due until the end of the month,” the Grant Foundation’s Megan Ladin said, noting that the foundation flags late or inconsistent final reports when considering future awards.

The foundation also provided an update on a county‑targeted property‑tax assistance fund established in 2024: of $250,000 originally earmarked for tax relief, about $126,000 remained available at the time of the meeting. Foundation staff said payments tend to spike in the fourth quarter when the treasurer notifies taxpayers who are behind on payments.

Commissioners asked whether childcare applicants should continue to apply to the foundation or to the county’s new Community Priorities Fund (a lodging‑tax funded program). Foundation staff said childcare providers can apply to both programs and that the foundation will coordinate with Grand Beginnings and other local partners to allocate childcare funding using an enrollment‑weighted approach for 2025 awards.

Commissioners agreed, during budget deliberations, to reduce the county transfer to donor‑advised grants by $25,000 for the 2026 budget and to keep a $50,000 earmark for childcare in the donor‑advised portion for 2026. The county will continue to evaluate how Community Priorities Fund allocations and the foundation’s donor‑advised funds interact in future cycles.

The foundation also noted the timing of grants (application deadlines and reporting schedules) so commissioners would know when to expect final reports and what would be considered when reviewing future applications.