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July 2014 Elaine Grossman, [email protected] 970-306-2484
An introduction to the Valley Settlement Project dual generation model for improving the lives
of children and adults living in poverty.
The Manaus Fund Page 2
Legal Name: The Manaus Fund Mailing Address: PO Box 2026 Carbondale, CO 81623 Physical Address: 520 South Third Street, Ste 26, Carbondale, CO 81623 Phone: 970-963-0851 Fax: 970-510-3005 Website: www.manausfund.org Organization Email: [email protected]
Chairman of the Board: Robert C Pew, III Executive Director: Jon Fox-Rubin Phone: 970-963-0851 Email: [email protected] Application Contact: Elaine Grossman, Foundation Liaison / Strategic Partnerships Phone: 970-306-2484 (cell) Email: [email protected] Year Founded: 2005 Tax Exemption Status: 501(c)(3) EIN: 20-2710588 Number of Employees: Full-time: 11 Part-time: 5
Organization Budget $1,105,641 2013
Valley Settlement Project $920,834 5/1/13-4/30/14 $1,077,386 5/1/14-4/30/15
To watch a brief video of Valley Settlement Project go to: www.vimeo.com/manausfund/vsp
/cb July 2, 2014
16%
50%
12%
22%
Adult Education $168,373
PowerTime-After School ($0 Ending May 2014)
Early Childhood Education: $537,882 (El Busesito, Kinder-Connect, Family, Friends & Neighbors, Learning With Love) Neighborhood Navigator $127,673
Parent Mentor $243,458
The Manaus Fund Page 3
COMMUNITY BACKGROUND
More than 80% of the 70,000 people within a 50 mile radius of the Central Colorado community of Glenwood Springs are clustered in small towns situated in two narrow river valleys along an 85 mile long corridor. At the far end of one valley, the resort town of Aspen is located at the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River.
The resort workforce lives in the downstream towns of Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs at the confluence with the Colorado River. At 10,000 residents, Glenwood is the area’s largest town, located a 40 mile one way commute from Aspen. Continuing to the west, the small towns of New Castle, Silt, Rifle and Parachute are home to more resort staff along with many construction and oil and gas industry employees.
The Hispanic immigrant population has more than doubled in the area over the past 10 years to 29%, about 18,000 residents—higher than the state average of 21% in 2012. The state demographer projects the population of Hispanic children in Colorado to be over 50% by 2021. Wide gaps exist in the well-being of Colorado’s children in immigrant families and their counterparts in U.S. born families, according to a 2013 report by the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Children in immigrant families in Colorado are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty as children in U.S. born families, 27% versus 16%. More than half of all Colorado children in immigrant families live in poverty, compared to about a third of children in U.S. born families.
Inspired by the success of the Settlement Houses in Chicago over a century ago, the Manaus Fund believes its responsibility is to reach out and help low income, mostly immigrant families become better settled in their communities. Low income families need access to quality early childhood education and a connection to their children’s schools. Parents need the tools to help their families improve their economic stability and educational attainment. Overcoming language barriers, cultural isolation, depression and fear, the Valley Settlement Project is a model developed to empower families within the Roaring Fork School District with tools to help themselves become integrated as empowered and engaged members of the community.
Forty-six percent of all students in the Roaring Fork Valley School District (RE-1) qualify for the Free & Reduced Lunch program, although for Hispanic children that figures rises to 57 percent. In the nearby mid and down-valley communities that Valley Settlement Project is not yet serving, (New Castle to Parachute) poverty is even greater, with over 55% of all students enrolled in the Free & Reduced lunch program. Colorado has seen the number of children living in poverty grow at a faster rate than all but two other states in the nation, according to Colorado Children’s Campaign 2014 Kid’s Count in Colorado report. Many of these are the U.S. born children of immigrants.
About 30% of all residents need food bank support to feed their families. In 2013, 23,389 people (over 5,500 families) were served by Lift Up, the local food bank, a 300% increase since late 2008. Many immigrant families with U.S. born children identified by door to door interviews, have desperate needs, yet are so isolated they are not connected to the food bank or other agencies that can help them with food emergencies or other basic services. Eighty-one percent are originally from Mexico and almost all intend to stay in the Valley.
The Manaus Fund Page 4
Tourism, construction and the oil & gas industry are the primary employers in the region; all three sectors have been hit hard by the recent downturn in the economy. Fifty- six percent of the 270 families interviewed by the Manaus Fund in 2011 make less $35,000 which is less than 150% of the 2013 Federal Poverty Level for a family of four. Yet, a family of four needs a minimum of $44,012 to subsist on a “Living Wage” in Garfield County. (Living Wage.MIT.edu)
Colorado is the fifth most expensive state in the country for childcare with the average cost of infant childcare in Colorado at $12,736 per year. (NACCRRA, 2013) A two parent family earning minimum wage doesn’t even qualify for child care assistance, making traditional preschool completely unaffordable for most families. Of those interviewed, only 1% had children enrolled in preschool.
Sadly, the achievement gap for children entering kindergarten without preschool compared to those with preschool doesn’t disappear once children enter school. In fact, the achievement gap slowly grows wider: only 58% of Hispanics complete high school on time, compared to 96% of their white peers at Basalt High School in the Roaring Fork School District. The Roaring Fork School District has wide achievement gaps between whites and Hispanics--worse than the state average in every category. This gap in education attainment continues the cycle of poverty. The Manaus Fund’s Valley Settlement Project addresses the root cause of this cycle of disparity with a dual generation approach to education and empowerment, ensuring lasting results.
Table. 1 DEMOGRAPHIC STATS AT A GLANCE (Data available as of June 2013)
Sources: CENSUS BUREAU, ACS, http://quickfacts.census.gov, CDE;
School Districts RE-1, RE-2, & 16 (2011-12) C
OLO
RA
DO
Gar
fiel
d
Co
un
ty
Bas
alt
Car
bo
nd
ale
Gle
nw
oo
d
Spri
ngs
New
Cas
tle
Silt
Rif
le
Bat
tlem
ent
Mes
a
Par
ach
ute
Population, 2011 Estimate 56,270 3,857 6,427 9,614 4,518 2,930 9,172 4,471 1,085
% Population, under 18, 2011 24.40% 30.60% 22.4% 25.6% 23.6% n/a n/a 23.6% n/a n/a
% Person's below poverty,2010 12.20% 9.20% 8.4% 11.9% 15.2% 2.90% 1.70% 9.90% 3.00% 18.1%
# Person's below poverty,2010 5177 324 765 1,461 131 50 908 134 196
% Hispanic or Latino origin, 2010 20.90% 28.60% 21.4% 39.3% 31.5% n/a n/a 30.4% n/a n/a
# Hispanic or Latino origin, 2010 16093 839 2526 3028 n/a n/a 2788 n/a n/a
# K-12 Students 9,653 RFSD RE-1 3,806* District RE-2 4,717 District 16-1,125
% Free & Reduced Lunch 40% 50% 46% 53% 57%
# Free & Reduced Lunch 4,892 1,751 2,500 641
% Children Hispanic or Latino 30% 46% 53% 43% 33%
# Children Hispanic or Latino 4,388 1,992 2,024 372
* In Garfield County. Not including schools located in Eagle County.
The Manaus Fund Page 5
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
The Manaus Fund began in 2005 as a way to create a cultural shift in the nonprofit community:
from resource scarcity and dependency to that of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.
The Manaus Fund started making strategic loans to local nonprofit organizations whose leaders
envisioned the potential to create an earned income revenue stream. Focusing broadly on social
justice and community building efforts, the Manaus Fund measured success through repaid loans
and expanded nonprofit capacity.
The focus of the Manaus Fund board evolved as they implemented their mission to build the
capacity of nonprofits and communities to achieve a more just society through investments and
partnerships. A planning grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation enabled the Manaus Fund to
actively reach out to understand the needs of the valley's most vulnerable families. The pivot point
for The Manaus Fund came after they began to directly interview low income, mostly immigrant
residents, asking them to talk about their lives. Using a community organizing approach, families
were invited to talk privately to share their stories with bilingual organizers.
One on one interviews of 270 families in 2011 found that Hispanic immigrants had multiple barriers
to settling and connecting to the Roaring Fork Valley community. Low income immigrants were
unconnected to schools, services, jobs and opportunities. Fear, poor public transportation, a lack of
understanding or warm welcome from schools increased their sense of isolation. It became evident
that no one in the community was systematically reaching out to welcome and engage young
families.
A key decision at the Manaus Fund, in
partnership with the Kellogg Foundation, was
to respond in full to meet the needs of the
whole family by taking a dual generation
approach to address root causes of the multiple
problems that were identified. Early childhood
and adult education program elements were
conceived in direct response to the needs of
those interviewed. A key strategy was to build
the basic infrastructure necessary to implement
all seven programs simultaneously in twelve targeted neighborhoods surrounding two elementary
schools. This was made possible by a three year grant of $1.2 million by the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation.
The dual generation, community organizing model of the Valley Settlement Project is transforming
lives through elements that improve school readiness, elementary school achievement, economic
stability and community engagement. By using community organizers, the Manaus Fund’s Valley
Settlement Project has developed a multifaceted strategy that is showing remarkable results in the
first two years.
The Manaus Fund Page 6
GOALS
The Manaus Fund’s two main goals for The Valley Settlement Project are:
1. Cultivate child school readiness and improve elementary achievement. 2. Increase parent economic stability through educational/skill building.
The key objectives of The Manaus Fund through 2018 are to raise approximately $3 Million to
ensure sustainable funding for each program element through 2018 and to collect, analyze and share
the initial Program Evaluation Outcomes with community stakeholders as they become available.
Through implementation of Valley Settlement Project’s duel generation programs, low income
families (living 200% below the federal poverty level) are empowered to better able to advocate for
themselves and their children. Simultaneously, the Manaus Fund is building the community’s
capacity to organize through its affiliation with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) and
Community Organizing Around Family Issues (COFI) to ensure systemic change among low
income immigrant families.
With powerful personal testimonies providing anecdotal evidence of success, there is much
anticipation and enthusiasm around expansion of Valley Settlement Project. Without additional
short and long term funding and validated measurable outcomes in place, Manaus Fund cautions
such rapid expansion is not a good business practice. Addressing these funding and evaluation
objectives will enable the methodical expansion of each Valley Settlement Project program to meet
the demand from additional neighborhoods and schools from 2014 to 2016 and beyond.
The Manaus Fund Page 7
CURRENT PROGRAMS
1) Community Organizers and Neighborhood Navigators
Community organizing is the backbone of the Valley Settlement Project’s strategy of listening to
families throughout targeted low income neighborhoods. “Community Organizer” is the role of
staff people who coordinate outreach to provide a foundation of understanding of Valley Settlement
Project objectives. Building trusting relationships with churches and other institutions, the
“Organizer” begins to work in each neighborhood, indentifying and empowering leaders.
“Neighborhood Navigator” is the role of the staff people who spend their time interacting with
families on a very personal level. Often over coffee at the kitchen table, “Neighborhood
Navigators” take the time to build trust and listen to the challenges, needs and aspirations of the
children and adults in families throughout the neighborhood. They provide the foundation of the
dual generation approach to community building by linking adults to adult education, children to
early childhood education and families to the other community services they need. The Navigator
works with about 15 to 20 families every week in the twelve target neighborhoods that feed into five
elementary schools served. The funding for additional Community Organizers and Neighborhood
Navigator staff is a core limiting factor for expansion of the Valley Settlement Programs.
Developing a culture of community organizing focused on both generations is what sets this
successful program apart from other efforts to reach the low income community.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
2) El Busesito/The Little Bus – Mobile Preschool
Less than 1% of the children of immigrant families
interviewed had children enrolled in preschool
compared to 30% in Garfield County overall. El
Busesito/The Little Bus addresses the need to
improve school readiness by providing quality
preschool experiences for low income children,
ages three to five that otherwise lack access to any
early childhood education before entering
kindergarten. Eight students at a time attend
school on the bus for 1 ½ hours, twice per week
year-round with highly educated bib-cultural early childhood education staff. A second small bus
was donated by the School District which enabled enrollment to grow to 96 children in June 2013.
Parents meet monthly as a group and receive coaching and encouragement on ways to continue the
learning process through developmentally appropriate activities at home. El Busesito provides the
parents with books and enrichment activities they learn to use at home with their children. The
parents learn why their commitment to their child’s required attendance on El Busesito is critical to
their progress. Raising-A-Reader and Bright Beginnings materials increase the access and use of
early literacy materials in each home.
The Manaus Fund Page 8
3) Kinder-Connect
Kinder-Connect is an evolution and expansion of El Busesito program for entering Kindergartners
and their parents to ensure a positive transition from preschool on the bus to kindergarten. Forty
pre-K students will attend a five week summer program in July for 90 minutes each morning, four
days per week. On one day per week, parents will also attend class in a separate classroom to help
them learn the expectations of the school, how to talk with their child's teacher, how to establish
healthy evening and morning routines, the importance of regular, on-time daily attendance for
kindergarteners and a myriad other factors that contribute to their child's success in school.
Relationships between Valley Settlement Staff and parents will continue throughout the school year
as well.
4) Learning With Love, (Birth-3 Years Old)
“Learning With Love” is a bi-lingual child development program for parents and their very young
children that recognizes that education begins at home from birth. Thirty parent:child pairs
participated in the early learning programs (formerly known as Mommy and Me) for one hour each
week during 2012-13. The program transitioned in spring 2014 and is piloting a new approach in
two neighborhoods in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. This model includes the social,
emotional, and physical well being for both generations. Parents and children come together with a
leader twice a week to learn strategies that promote the healthy development of their child well
before preschool. This foundation for the dual generation approach empowers parents with the
skills and confidence to become their child’s first and most important teacher.
5) Family Friends And Neighbors (Home Based Informal Care)
Low income young parents rely on an informal network of convenient and affordable caregivers to
care for their children while they work. While unregulated, this is an important network of
caregivers who often lack training and proper skills. The “Family Friends & Neighbors” program
provides three hour intensive adult education in Spanish one Saturday every month to enhance the
quality of informal childcare available. Topics include safety, first aid and CPR. Twenty one
caregivers, (average age of 32) enrolled and committed to attending the training for nine months.
6) PowerTime - Elementary After School Program
PowerTime gives low achieving students in first through fifth grade the extra time they need to
become proficient in reading and other academics while in elementary school. Valley Settlement
Project partners with Access Roaring Fork, a local nonprofit provider of afterschool enrichment
programs, to provide approximately 20,000 contact hours of academic enrichment time to students.
With funding from the Valley Settlement Project, Access Roaring Fork implemented the afterschool
program in two elementary schools to help 120 low performing children with academic enrichment
activities for two extra hours of support per day, three days per week throughout the school year.
Free transportation home at the end of the day is provided, removing another significant barrier for
many families. After careful review, this program will not be continued next school year as it does
not provide opportunity for in-depth contact with parents. Parent engagement is a core component
of the dual generation approach used by Valley Settlement Project across the board.
The Manaus Fund Page 9
7) Parent Mentors
Community Organizers and Neighborhood Navigators encourage interested parents to interview for
the one week training course to become a “Parent Mentor” and provide teaching support in an
elementary school classroom. On completion of this training, Parent Mentors are assigned to a
classroom to volunteer for two hours per day, four days
per week. On the fifth day of each week, the Parent
Mentors receive two hours of personal and professional
development.
Twenty one Parent Mentors were working in the
classrooms at two elementary schools in 2012. The
program expanded to 41 parents in classrooms in five
schools in the second year. There is a huge demand
from teachers for this program to significantly expand
in the next school year. Over 10,000 student contact
hours have been provided by the Parent Mentors since
inception in October 2012.
The benefits of having Parent Mentors in the schools extend well beyond the tremendous daily
support they provide the classroom teachers. Parent Mentor’s own children respond with improved
academic achievement when their parents are present and involved in the school.
8) Adult Education
Adult education is desperately needed in this low income, immigrant community. Recognizing that
self reported education levels may likely be exaggerated, of those interviewed, 25% reported having
less than a 6th grade education and only 19% reported having completed 6th grade. Sadly, many of
these adults are still functionally illiterate in their native language. The interviews showed 82% were
interested in computer training and 62% wanted to study English. The interviews also revealed the
barriers to accessing the knowledge desired were virtually impossible for low income adults to
overcome without a change in the way adult education programs is offered.
Valley Settlement Project has found that a large proportion of those interested in adult education
classes don't possess the most basic literacy skills in their native language to allow them to enroll in
the lowest level remedial classes at Colorado Mountain College. Valley Settlement Project is
providing basic language and math classes taught in Spanish to 30 adults. Curriculum was developed
collaboratively by faculty from Roaring Fork School District and Parent Mentors. Parents are
actively engaged in improving their own education and learning how to help their own children with
homework. Parents are also positioning themselves to qualify for English classes through the local
community college.
Through Valley Settlement Project’s approach, three levels of English classes for three semesters
were taken by 60 men and women during the first year. In June 2012, 20 more adults enrolled in a
GED prep class being offered in Spanish. Three sessions with two levels of computer classes have
been offered in Spanish at the local elementary school and approximately 50 adults participated.
The Manaus Fund Page 10
EVALUATION
The Valley Settlement Project Evaluation Plan (April 2013) and Summary Outcomes reports (June
2013 and March 2014) available on request.
Valley Settlement Project overall evaluation approach is rooted in a behavior change theory by
which individuals who engage in the programming have increased knowledge, reduced external
barriers and increased community support. These increases lead to more confidence in abilities to
better connect with community services and higher levels of family empowerment, providing them
with realistic outcome expectations. Together these factors ignite a chain reaction where the creation
of new goals leads to behavior intention; this intention leads to actual behavior change which
ultimately results in positive outcomes (improved well-being). Valley Settlement Project’s behavior
change theory is based on previously validated Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) and Theory
of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991).
Valley Settlement Project measures outcomes using data collected during pre and post surveys. The
newly created surveys include yes/no, likert and open-ended questions to obtain comprehensive
information. The programs fall into three main areas:
1) Community Engagement, 2) School Readiness and Success, and 3) Family Economic Stability.
The immediate short-term outcomes for community engagement are increased participant
empowerment, engaging in goal setting and connection with local agencies and resources. Family
economic stability includes obtaining of a new skill, GED preparation or continuing education and
improvement in self-confidence. School readiness includes progression on GOLD assessment and
increased capacity and quality of informal childcare providers. Short-term goals for all participants
include increased engagement within schools and community. These increases are expected at the
immediate post program assessment.
The long term outcomes expected from the community area are upward mobility and leadership and
families connecting directly with agencies. Long-term family economic outcomes include improved
living situation, job stability, English and literacy skills and employment opportunities. School
readiness and success long-term outcomes include increased parent involvement, school readiness
and success. Long-term goals for all participants include utilizing new community resources,
maintaining positive behavior change and continuing to work on personal goals.
In addition to outstanding anecdotal evidence of initial program success, preliminary evaluation data
collected through the Valley Settlement Project surveys and the school district has revealed academic
growth gains that are included in the Summary report attached.
The Manaus Fund Page 11
COLLABORATION
Of the dozens of active community partnerships, The Valley Settlement Project’s most important
community partner is the Roaring Fork School District which has integrated the Valley Settlement
Project into twenty-one classrooms throughout two schools. The Parent Mentors have provided
3,850 hours of student contact time in the first year and over 10,000 hours to date.
The Roaring Fork School District and the Roaring Fork Rapid Transit Authority have each donated a
retired bus for the mobile preschool. The School District provides fuel, maintenance, and insurance
for the buses with an in-kind value estimated at over $25,000. Operating with the first bus alone,
enabled Valley Settlement Project to provide 650 contact hours of quality early childhood education
to those who need it most. Additionally, the School District is working with the Valley Settlement
staff to implement the evaluation methodology and analyze the education outcomes of the students
receiving traditional classroom preschool instruction compared to those receiving instruction on El
Busesito. The Community Organizers have worked with local public agency service providers and
nonprofit organizations to ensure there is no duplication in programs and that families get
connected to the existing programs and services they need. Partnerships include Roaring Fork
Family Resource Center, Mountain Family Health and the Family Visitor Program.
INCLUSIVENESS.
Social justice is at the heart of the Manaus Fund. The Manaus Fund strives to build a partnership of
diverse equals, never assuming that it knows what others need without asking. This is evidenced by
the extensive listening, community conversations and planning prior to implementing the Valley
Settlement Project. Field staff are bi-lingual and bi-cultural. The community organizing approach to
planning and programming reinforces the potential for accomplishments of the families they work
with, deliberately avoiding a cycle of dependency. The Industrial Areas Foundation Iron Rule guides
the Manaus Fund to “Never do for others what they can do for themselves. Never.”
BOARD/GOVERNANCE
The original board members were invited by founder George Stranahan in 2005 to create a small
band of deeply experienced, socially minded investors. Their goal was to transform the mindset of
scarcity among nonprofit organizations to one of plenty through developing earned income
entrepreneurial ventures. Rob Pew joined the board in 2008 and accepted the role of board
president in 2012. Elaine Gantz Berman joined the board in early 2013. All board members
contribute financially to the organization on an annual basis and each plays an active role in
supporting staff as mentors, developing resources and spreading the vision of the Manaus Fund’s
programs to other prospective investors. Three key staff leaders bring over seventy years of
collective nonprofit management experience to the Manaus Fund.
Financial sustainability, continuing to implement best nonprofit management practices and program
infrastructure development are the primary governance issues being addressed by the board and
staff during this phase of rapid growth.
The Manaus Fund Page 12
VOLUNTEERS
Parent Mentors are Valley Settlement Project’s most visible volunteers. These volunteers are the
hallmark of the Valley Settlement’s project to connect families to the schools in meaningful ways
that positively impact educational achievement for both generations. They each volunteer a
minimum of 8 hours of service per week throughout the school year and collectively have
contributed 3,850 student contact hours in the first year of the program in the schools. During the
summer, high school students volunteer on El Busesito, providing a positive teen role model from
within the neighborhood for young children.
PLANNING
The primary challenge facing the organization is to maintain and replicate the tremendous new
program infrastructure of the Valley Settlement Project that was put in place in 2012 and expanded
in 2013. Systematically incorporating the evaluation results of the first year into the planning
process presents the organization with a great opportunity to communicate the outcomes of the
programs with the key funding partners, the school district and agency stakeholders throughout the
region.
The second challenge is how to accomplish a shift in the delivery of early childhood and adult
education in the most efficient way. Determining how to sustain and simultaneously replicate Valley
Settlement Project programs to meet the needs of families in other low income neighborhoods
presents a resource challenge. Together the Manaus Fund and the community have an opportunity
to decide how move forward together to meet these challenges and break the cycle of poverty.
The Manaus Fund Page 13
THE MANAUS FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ELAINE GANTZ BERMAN joined the Manaus Fund Board in 2013 and has dedicated her professional work and community service to improving the lives of Colorado's children. Berman's life and work has been strongly influenced by her Cuban-born mother and her extensive experiences in Latin America including a two-year stint in Cali, Colombia with her husband, Steve, where they both worked in community health centers. A longtime advocate of education reform, she served for eight years on the Denver Board of Education, including four years as president prior to being elected in 2008 to the Colorado State Board of Education representing Colorado Congressional District 1. Prior to her service on the Denver school board, Berman worked for 18 years as a program officer at the Denver-based Piton Foundation. She currently lives in Denver and works with DeBoskey Group, a philanthropic advisory group as Senior Advisor and continues to serve on a dizzying number of state and national education boards and commissions. Berman is fluent in Spanish and holds a MSPH from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
TIM MCFLYNN, Founding member of the Manaus Fund board, is executive director of Public
Counsel of the Rockies and a professional mediator with Aspen Dispute Resolution. Raised in Lake
Forest, IL, he received BA and JD degrees from Stanford University. Following four years as
a special prosecutor of public corruption and white-collar crime, he practiced in California as a civil
rights lawyer with foundation-funded public interest law firms. McFlynn moved to Colorado in 1987
and has been an active nonprofit board member including service as Board President of Aspen
Center for Environmental Studies, Wilderness Workshop, Western Resource Advocates, and
Western Conservation Foundation. He co-founded and serves as a Trustee of the Pitkin County
Open Space and Trails Program. He is also a member of the Writers Guild of America and the
Screen Actors Guild. Married with five children and eight grandchildren, McFlynn lives in Old
Snowmass, CO.
MICHAEL MCVOY, Founding member of the Manaus Fund board, has been a licensed securities broker in the Roaring Fork Valley for over 30 years, the last 20 with Raymond James and Associates. During this time McVoy also spent 8 years as VP and board member in the restaurant business with Pour La France as well as five years as co-publisher and president of the Aspen Times. His parallel career of volunteer service spans leadership on the boards of the Aspen Valley Land Trust, Wilderness Workshop, Roaring Crystal Alliance, Roaring Fork Transit Authority and Pitkin County Retirement Boards and The Manaus Fund. McVoy’s dedication to education runs deep with 19 years on the board at Aspen Community School. He proudly led its transition from a private school into two public charter schools. McVoy is currently board president of the Roaring Fork Community Development Corp, which is redeveloping a trailer park in Basalt into a site for a new hotel, mixed use retail, non-profit and residential spaces, and providing alternative housing for the current residents.
The Manaus Fund Page 14
ROBERT C. PEW III, President of The Manaus Fund and Chairman of the board of directors at Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Now a private investor, Pew served as president of Steelcase North America from May 1990 to March 1994. He is also owner and director of Trew Gear, manufacturer of outer-wear for mountain riders. Pew is a former trustee of Grand Valley State University and is currently board chair of the IIT Institute of Design. His varied activities in the not-for-profit sector include Buncombe County United Way, Chair of the Community Planning and Allocation Process and campaign chair of United Way of Western Michigan and president of Junior Achievement of Western North Carolina. Pew served as chair of the Asheville Downtown Commission and campaign chair for the Pack Place Arts and Science Center. Pew lives in Ashville, NC and Woody Creek, CO with his wife, Susan Taylor.
JEFF SELTZER, Founding member of the Manaus Fund board, is an investment manager and management consultant. He served in marketing, sales, and corporate development positions in the technology industry, including as vice president of marketing for Brocade Communications, director of corporate development for Quantum Corporation, and director of product management for Exabyte Corporation. Seltzer holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. He lives with his wife and two small children in Snowmass, CO and also serves on the board of Aspen Public Radio.
GEORGE STRANAHAN, Founder of The Manaus Fund, is a lifelong educator, philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, physicist, writer, publisher and fine art photographer. Born and raised in Ohio, Stranahan earned his masters and Ph.D in physics from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. After teaching at Michigan State University, he settled in the Aspen area in the early 1970s with his family. As a community activist and advocate of enduring education, he founded the Aspen Center for Physics, Aspen Community School, and Carbondale Community School and has also served on the boards of Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Aspen Institute, Colorado Mountain College, Aspen Community Foundation, and the Needmor Foundation. A tiny sampling of Stranahan’s myriad colorful and successful ventures includes the Woody Creek Tavern, Flying Dog Brewery, Stranahan’s Whiskey and the 3rd Street Community Center in Carbondale. He started The Manaus Fund in 2005 as a way to change the donor-nonprofit dynamic, cultivate community and address social injustice in the Roaring Fork Valley. Providing hands-on guidance to staff, Stranahan serves as Senior Advisor to Valley Settlement Project.
The Manaus Fund Page 15
NAMES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF KEY STAFF
JON FOX-RUBIN, Executive Director. A native of Aspen, Colorado, Jon Fox-Rubin joined the Manaus Fund as the organization's first full time executive director in June 2014. Also in 2014, he co-founded Energetics Education, a non-profit focused on team-based experiential education around energy literacy for high school students. Previously Jon co-founded and led as Director, President & CEO two advanced technology companies: “Hypercar, Inc.” in 1998 and Fiberforge Corporation in 2004, both spin-offs from Rocky Mountain Institute, where Jon serves as a Sr. Fellow. Companies under Jon’s leadership have raised over $30 million in equity capital, captured Fortune 500 customers and won numerous awards.
Jon also served as Town Councilor of Basalt, Colorado from 2000 to 2004 where he spearheaded a resolution welcoming immigrants to the community and co-founded “Misión: Comunidad” a non-profit newspaper dedicated to building bridges between the Anglo and Latino communities in the Roaring Fork valley. Jon developed an interest in immigrant integration when he resided for a time as a youth in Bisbee, Arizona—a US/Mexico border town—and as an adult in rural Germany. In both situations Jon experienced firsthand the challenges of not speaking or understanding the dominant local language. Jon developed an interest in social justice while living in Boston where he helped organize a coalition for social justice on the MIT campus and volunteered at the Eastern Service Workers Association.
Jon holds an interdisciplinary PhD and a MS Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology along with a BSME with honors from the University of Colorado at Boulder. A man of many talents, he also attended Wyoming Technical Institute where he became a certified automotive mechanic! Jon lives in Basalt, Colorado with his wife Julie and their son.
ELAINE GROSSMAN, Foundation Liaison brings forty years of broad-based executive management and development experience in the nonprofit, corporate and education sectors. Elaine is recognized for bringing creativity, passion and energy to organizations during periods of growth and change. She earned a BS from Skidmore College and Masters in Early Childhood Education from Boston College then spent the first thirty years of her career in Massachusetts in executive positions ranging from Statewide Director of Day Care Services, Work-Family Direction, to Development Director, Boston Medical Center, Reach Out and Read. Her passion and skills have secured millions of dollars for programs benefiting children, education and cancer treatment. After moving to Colorado in 2000, Elaine continued using her talents as a development consultant, benefitting the Aspen affiliate of Susan G Komen Foundation, Valley View Hospital, Quality of Life Cancer project and others before joining the Western Colorado Preschool Cooperative project and the Manaus Fund in 2008.
MORGAN JACOBER, Valley Settlement Project Director, was hired by The Manaus Fund as their first part time staff person in 2006. In 2012, Morgan transitioned into the role of Project Director for the growing Valley Settlement Project. Prior to the Manaus Fund, Morgan worked for four years with the 2007 El Pomar, Colorado Nonprofit of the Year, YouthEntity, as Associate Director. Before focusing her passion on youth and education, she worked in marketing with Four Peaks Development in Aspen. Morgan graduated with a BS in Political Science from the University of Colorado. As a ranch kid from the Roaring Fork Valley, her roots run deep and she’s passing on that family heritage, staying in the Valley with her husband to raise their two small children.
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VERONICA FELIX, Community Organizer. Veronica grew up picking fruit with her family in California and experienced first-hand the power of community organizing to change the lives of migrant farm workers—including her own. Learning from her father and his closest friend, Cesar Chavez, she has worked to empower people to help themselves her whole life. Based in Rifle, Veronica and her husband are passing on this proud family legacy to their sons—one in College in Arizona and the other a football player for Rifle High School. Both young men have spent plenty of time passing out leaflets and attending community meetings with their Mom. Veronica is also a thriving entrepreneur who bakes cakes for weddings and Quinceañeras in addition to her key role as Community Organizer for the Valley Settlement Project since 2011.
AMANDA TAMBURRO FRIEND, Early Childhood Specialist, earned a Masters Degree in early childhood special education. Amanda began her career in education with the Roaring Fork School District as a preschool teacher at Crystal River Elementary School. She spent time in Florida as a master teacher, training preschool educators for several years before returning to Colorado to connect young families with Mommy & Me, El Busesito and Parent Mentor opportunities in 2011. She provides the critical link between Valley Settlement Project programs and the School District. Amanda and her husband stay busy raising three boys.
TRACY BETHELL, Business Manager, earned a BA from Florida State University and an MBA in Accounting from University of Phoenix. She has used her financial reporting, analysis, audit and problem-solving skills to ensure fiscal transparency in the accounting for a number of organizations in Colorado including DaVita, Inc., Colorado Preschool Cooperative and TJ Concrete prior to joining The Manaus Fund in January 2012. Tracy is an adjunct faculty in Accounting for Colorado Mountain College. She and her husband are co-owners of Walltech Services, a construction company, and proud parents of a little boy.
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MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE MANAUS FUND FOR PAST THREE YEARS
Contributor Name
Total Amount Year-end 12/31/11
Total Amount Year-end 12/31/12
Total Amount
Year-end 12/31/13
Three Year Total
W.K. Kellogg Foundation $ 149,583 $ 882,192 $ 223,109 $ 1,254,884
Aspen Community Foundation $ 302,000 $ 302,000
Individual donors $ 60,052 $ 107,975 $ 105,148 $ 273,175
Dornick Foundation $ 200,000 $ 44,122 $ 244,122
Colorado Health Foundation $ 210,816 $ 210,816
Stranahan Foundation $ 50,000 $ 50,000
Aspen Thrift Shop $ 107,740 $ 3,500 $ 111,240
Daniels Fund $ 80,000 $ 80,000
Temple Hoyne Buell $ 40,000 $ 40,000
CO Developmental Disabilities Council $ 44,982 $ 44,982
Pitkin County
$ 15,000 $ 15,000
Garfield County $ 5,000 $ 7,250 $ 12,250
El Pomar $ 7,500 $ 7,500
Alpine Bank $ 5,000 $ 5,000
Aspen Ski Company $ 5,000 $ 5,000
Betty Jane Schuss $ 5,000
$ 5,000
Town of Carbondale $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 2,807 $ 4,807
Bauguettes Advised Fund c/o ACF $ 4,320 $ 4,320
Brett Family Foundation $ 2,500
$ 2,500
Aspen Rotary Club $ 1,500 $ 1,500
The Arches Foundation $ 1,000 $ 1,000
Wells Fargo $ 775 $ 775
ADDITIONAL FUNDERS IN 2014. Recent major gifts to Valley Settlement Project include $50,000 from the Aspen Institute and membership in their Ascend Network; $80,000 from Daniels Fund; $25,000 from Larry Marx with an additional $150,000 pledge over the next three years; $90,000 from John Denver Aspenglow Fund with an additional $90,000 pledge for 2015.
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS
DONATED GOODS. In the past year, the Roaring Fork School District and the Roaring Fork Rapid Transit Authority have both made significant in-kind contributions of the exclusive use of two ‘retired’ buses which were repurposed as mobile pre-school classrooms by Valley Settlement Project. Title to the two busses is held by the Roaring Fork School District. DONATED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. The maintenance services, insurance and gasoline are an annual in-kind contribution from Roaring Fork School District that enables “El Busesito” to deliver programming to children in need. The estimated value of this in-kind contribution is $25,000 per year. The strong partnerships and in-kind contributions of Roaring Fork School District teachers and administrators provide ongoing training for Parent Mentor volunteers throughout the school year.
