Unless you’re involved with a Berthoud nonprofit organization, the Berthoud Community Fund may be unfamiliar. It is not an entity or organization, but rather simply a fund. It is one of many funds that are part of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado.

There is a committee of seven Berthoud individuals who oversee the granting of monies from the fund to various nonprofits. Misha Maggi is the current chairperson.

Over the years, a group collaborated to create a fund that would be specifically for the benefit of the Berthoud community. Originally called Berthoud Bequest, it was established as an endowment fund, the idea being that gifts made would have a broader and longer impact.

Today, it is under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and goes by the name Berthoud Community Fund.

Donors have contributed to the fund for decades through estates and past fundraising by members. There have been small and large donations to the endowment. Every year, interest earnings are siphoned off as grantable funds with the principal remaining intact.

Grant applications are solicited once a year and sent to the various 501(c)(3) entities that serve the Berthoud community. Some are Berthoud nonprofits and others are Larimer County organizations that work in the Berthoud community.

When analyzing which organizations the fund will support, there are three priorities the committee considers: 1. Does it build community engagement in the Berthoud area? 2. Does it preserve Berthoud as a great place to live and raise children? 3. Will the funds achieve obvious and meaningful outcomes?

“I think our donors can rest assured that we have this criteria in mind when making decisions,” said Misha Maggi. “Their donations are having a meaningful and positive impact on Berthoud.”

Most of the committee members are longtime Berthoud residents, have or are currently raising families in the area and many have businesses in Berthoud. They have a vested interest in seeing the community thrive.

“We sprinkle the funds among a lot of different groups that have a positive impact on Berthoud in very different ways,” said Maggi.

In 2021, the Berthoud Community Fund awarded more than $35,000 to nine organizations that serve Berthoud: A Little Help, Berthoud Robotics, Food Bank for Larimer County, Foster & Adoptive Families of Larimer County, Give Next Fund, Guided Hope, House of Neighborly Service, Meals on Wheels of Loveland & Berthoud and Volunteers of America Colorado.

For information about how to give to the Berthoud Community Fund or how a nonprofit can apply for a grant, visit www.nocofoundation.org/communities-served/berthoud/ or email Elizabeth Messerli at [email protected].