Local solutions guided by the people

2025 Civic Hub Grantee

The Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley (CFSLV) works to strengthen the six-county San Luis Valley region of southern Colorado by connecting resources with community needs. Through grantmaking, fiscal sponsorships, donor services, and collaborative initiatives, the foundation supports local nonprofits, schools, and grassroots groups in areas such as education, health, economic opportunity, and cultural preservation.

CFSLV emphasizes rural equity, community voice, and collective impact, ensuring that local solutions are guided by the people and traditions of the Valley while building long-term sustainability for the region.

One of its efforts included helping a group of local growers and food advocates form the Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative. The effort started as a handful of recently unemployed Guatemalan immigrants experimenting with small batches of oyster and shiitake mushrooms in makeshift grow rooms has grown into a collaborative effort to build sustainable food systems in one of the most rural regions of Colorado.

The cooperative not only produces fresh, nutrient-rich mushrooms but also creates new income opportunities for families, supports soil health through composting, and reduces reliance on imported foods. Members share equipment, knowledge, and markets, proving that when neighbors pool their resources, they can overcome barriers of scale and isolation. Today, the cooperative is both a source of healthy food and a symbol of resilience in the Valley.

“The Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley is about more than just funding — it’s about building trust, lifting up local voices, and ensuring that the Valley’s unique culture and resilience are at the center of every solution.”

— Jason C. Medina, Executive Director
Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley

CFSLV will use its Trust funding to support a new program called CIVIC POWER. It will consist of nine cohorts of 20 community members that focus on educating neighbors about who the area’s leaders are, where important decisions are made, and how they can influence these decisions by becoming involved and using their own civic power.

Learn more at www.cfslv.org